The crosses below indicate failed direction of trend which is explained with: "This KPI did not meet the direction because of less favourable economic forecasts (including higher unemployment rates), lower exit rates and changes in our client mix from those requiring support during the COVID-19 pandemic."
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But hang on. The direction has been wrong since 2017. Here are the figures from last year’s annual report.
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Apart from the first nation-wide lockdown the unemployment rate (depicted by the red line below) has generally decreased from 4.9 to 3.6 percent.
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Against a backdrop of a mostly strong labour market MSD has overseen a substantial rise in the time people are staying dependent on welfare.
Unlike the previous National government, the Labour government did not set an official target of reducing dependency. Rather MSD measures their ‘success’ in building trust and confidence in clients; in timeliness of access and availability of assistance; in equity of outcomes for Maori; client satisfaction with family violence services; and in building awareness of and access to support.
This ‘kindness’ arose from recommendations by the Cindy Kiro-led Welfare Expert Advisory Group convened by the incoming Ardern government of 2017. MSD would counter criticism claiming that they have generally met their KPIs built around these measures.
But what does the funder of MSD (the productive taxpayer) actually want to see?
Not numbers like these:
Unlike the previous National government, the Labour government did not set an official target of reducing dependency. Rather MSD measures their ‘success’ in building trust and confidence in clients; in timeliness of access and availability of assistance; in equity of outcomes for Maori; client satisfaction with family violence services; and in building awareness of and access to support.
This ‘kindness’ arose from recommendations by the Cindy Kiro-led Welfare Expert Advisory Group convened by the incoming Ardern government of 2017. MSD would counter criticism claiming that they have generally met their KPIs built around these measures.
But what does the funder of MSD (the productive taxpayer) actually want to see?
Not numbers like these:
Click to vew
What taxpayers want (those of us who voted for change anyway) is a return to welfare for the genuinely needy. For those who have suffered misfortune through no fault of their own and cannot be self-sustaining.
Labour squandered a rare opportunity to significantly reduce welfare dependency. While the borders were closed thousands could have taken up the employment opportunities presented. Instead, numbers on welfare stagnated and the time spent there only got longer.
It is absolutely critical for the new government to turn this around. With an ageing population and declining birth rate (also faced by the other countries we compete with), labour force shortages will continue.
The new government doesn’t need to cut benefits. They just need to require anyone who can work to take the job on offer.
In the long run that would be the far kinder option for all parties concerned.
Lindsay Mitchell is a welfare commentator who blogs HERE. - Where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
Few of these people on a benefit will earn much more than they get on the benefit. They lack skills.
No work. Freedom. No pressure to work. Living in locations such as the East Coast, heaven.
With the minimum wage so high, clamour for the living wage, and the huge liabilty of companies for actions of employees, especauill safety relaled and largely the fault of cavalier employees, little wonder jobs are not very forthcomimg. Bringing back the 90 day trial period should help enormously.I have seen through a few new state apartments. Depending on the particular neighbours I could comfortably retire into one on the dole.... as long as I had a connection to websites....
While on the dole as well you can do some under the counter cash odd jobs to build up your income to the minimum wage as a manual labourer.
I'm not of course advocating this I have just observed this happening.
During the recent election campaign, I am amazed that NO politician stood up & said ' NZ cannot afford this level of welfare"
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