March 23, 2005

Way To Go, Steve

Social Development and Employment Minister, Steve Maharey, has just announced that Work and Income have, through their Industry Partnerships programme, moved 516 beneficiaries into work over nine months.

Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB, Lindsay Mitchell, congratulated the Minister, "I am sure these people's lives will be much better for having moved into good jobs. 516 people represents 0.16 percent of the total working-age population on a benefit at the end of December 2004."

"That's only 99.84 percent to go! Way to go, Steve."

* Increases in benefit numbers during the nine months to December 2004;

DPB 109,339 up from 108,569 (+ 0.7 %) Sickness 45,648 up from 42,217 (+ 8.1 %) Invalid's 72,543 up from 69,783 (+ 3.9 %)

Lindsay Mitchell Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB forms available from www.liberalvalues.org.nz

ENDS

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