All new jobseeker recipients to attend work ‘seminar’

People who start on the jobseeker benefit will have to attend a compulsory work seminar within two weeks or be sanctioned, Social Development Minister Louise Upston says.

Upston made the announcement, part of the National-coalition Government’s effort to get 50,000 people off the jobseeker benefit by 2030, at a jobs exposition in Porirua, yesterday morning.

“About 188,000 people currently receive Jobseeker Support but only about 53,000 of them have employment case managers at any given time, so early intervention is required to make sure the others are taking steps towards finding work,” Upston said.

New Jobseeker Support recipients will have to attend one of the seminars run by the Ministry of Social Development, called “Kōrero Mahi – Let’s Talk Work”, within a fortnight “to have their employment needs assessed and their next step decided”.

“If they’re ready to work, they could be helped to apply for a job. If they need retraining or upskilling, they could be referred to a programme that can help,” Upston said.

“These compulsory work seminars will make sure all new jobseeker beneficiaries get the support they need and understand what’s expected of them.

“Those who do not attend without a good and sufficient reason could be sanctioned.”

The Government has previously promised a crackdown on long-term recipients of the jobseeker benefit through “money management” and bringing down the full weight of financial sanctions on beneficiaries who don’t take obligatory steps to find work.

Currently, people on the jobseeker benefit must take reasonable steps to get a suitable job, attend job interviews if Work and Income advises it, and take part in any activities Work and Income refers beneficiaries to, including seminars, training, work experience or work assessments.

Yesterday morning, Finance Minister Nicola Willis also announced up to 94% of households will get a tax cut in the Government’s first Budget, to be released at the end of the month.