What type of welfare state is new zealand

We are in the first stages but it is clear we want a simple benefit and fair system, comprehensible to recipients and the general public. And one which supports people to gain new skills required in the modern economy. In other words, we want a benefit system that is part of overall economic policy. Second, we are changing the delivery system.

In essence we want to move decision making to the frontline. The centrally driven model of employment services that has developed over the last few years has failed to recognise the regional nature of labour markets. We need to give regional managers much more authority to decide what will work best for people in their area.

Devolution through regionalisation is at the heart of this as are changes in delivery technology. Third, we are introducing a wide range of policies designed to lift peoples' capacity and take on paid employment which is sustainable.

This is what we call making work pay. We think extending economic opportunity is at the heart of the modern welfare system. Fourth, we are involving communities. We want communities involved in social welfare issues to ensure that what we do is tied to their aspirations for a better life. This means looking at the way mainstream policies and institutions can make a better contribution to their wellbeing, and examining how these communities can be involved in delivering resources and services to their members.

Overall, this is a welfare system for the 21st century. It is active in ensuring that New Zealanders can be part of the new economy and society that is taking shape. We call it positive welfare. The first stage of the reforms to the social security system have begun with the Social Security Amendment Bill now before Parliament.

The underlying premise of the bill is that it is the job of the social security and employment system to provide security for those who need it, opportunities for those who can take them and to not waste precious resources policing make-work schemes like Community Work.

With that in mind, the Bill proposes that from 1 December community work will no longer be mandatory and the sanctions associated with community work will be removed. At the same time, voluntary work in the community will become a recognised activity for work-tested beneficiaries. From 1 July the community wage is replaced with a separate unemployment benefit and a separate non-work tested sickness benefit.

The current work-test is refocussed and a revised and simplified sanction regime for work-tested beneficiaries comes into effect. In addition, when the Bill comes into force anticipated to be in November the work capacity assessment for applicants and beneficiaries with a sickness, disability or injury will formally end. This was a scheme designed by the last Government to test the work capacity of sick and injured claimants — unfortunately it didn't work and no two testers could agree exactly what a persons capacities were.

Again, our resources are too precious to waste on politicians' pet schemes that do nothing to assist people to find sustainable work. In summary, the bill in general places less emphasis on compulsion and more on obtaining sustainable results through working with beneficiaries to make the most of personal and work opportunities. And it promotes the broader goals of encouraging people to participate in the economic and social life of their communities through voluntary community activity.

It is the first steps of what I have flagged is a longer term look at the wider social assistance system and an investigation of ways it might be able to be simplified. At the end of June this year, we estimate that 17 percent of the working age population are receiving benefits, with 10 per cent having been in receipt of benefits for at least two years continuously.

This is why we are currently looking at how we can more effectively support people to stay in work once they have found it. Ideally a welfare system should ensure that a person is always better off if they are working than if they are not.

During the 's government tried to achieve this objective by lowing benefits — at best a short term solution where the unemployed are joined by the working poor. Instead we should focus on increasing peoples earning power by assisting them to progress in their employment and gain transferable skills.

For the goal of welfare reform is not simply reducing the numbers on benefits, but improving the lives of all New Zealanders.

And we must also look at the supply side, growing jobs, not just in the cities but in the regions too. That is why we have initiatives such as the Community Employment Organisations scheme designed to assist the development of community based organisations providing employment for disadvantaged individuals. And an increased focus on helping those who have experienced barriers to employment, such as people with disabilities, recent migrants, and the long-term unemployed. Young New Zealanders need a multitude of skills to adapt to a changing and complex world.

It is our responsibility to assist them meet this challenge through employment initiatives that nurture their potential. Training subsidies, modern apprenticeships, industry-based training and mentoring schemes will enable our young people to embrace work opportunities with confidence and skill.

Overall, we want to address the barriers to participation in the economy and society rather than add to them. One of the key barriers to progress that has developed over the last decade is the growing divide between the haves and the have nots in our society.

Social inequality is one of the most important issues facing us because our actions today are going to determine our future tomorrow. As a nation we will never achieve our full potential if a significant proportion of our people get left behind, trapped in poverty, long term unemployment, poor educational achievement, ill health and rotten housing.

It is only through working with the communities themselves that the gaps that have divided this country can be closed. This has often meant that the relationships between the different aspects of social exclusion have been ignored. It will be enough to provide a basic standard of living once you retire.

But if you would prefer a better-than-basic lifestyle in your later years you can supplement NZ Super by doing your own retirement saving. With Kiwisaver you pay in a certain amount from your wages or salary. That is matched by your employer and topped up with an annual bonus from the government. You can access the money earlier in certain circumstances — for example, if you are ill or have financial hardship or if you are buying your first home.

Find out more at the Inland Revenue website, and read more about retirement savings on our Retirement page. Kiwisaver for individuals Inland Revenue. Retirement Live in NZ. NZ Super is available for citizens and residents aged 65 and over. It is not means tested: that is, it is paid regardless of any other private income you receive, or assets you hold. However if you receive other benefits, or payments from ACC for injury from accidents, they may affect your allowance. It gives you discounts and offers from a range of businesses, government concessions - such as free off-peak public transport - and discounted services from your local council.

People on low incomes, who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, may be eligible for a Community Services Card. This card means you pay less for various health services including visits to a doctor and prescription medicines. It can also reduce the cost of travel and accommodation if you or a family member need hospital treatment.

Community Services Card Work and Income. Partners may get either one or two weeks' unpaid leave, depending on how long they have been employed. Parental leave MBIE. Working for Families is a package of benefits that can help with the costs of raising children if you are working. It can include tax credits, help with the costs of pre-school and out-of-school childcare, and help with housing costs. Many families with children are eligible for it.

You must be a New Zealand resident and have been living here continuously for 12 months to be eligible. The children you are claiming for must be dependent children aged 18 or younger or up to 19 if still in education who are both resident and currently living in New Zealand. If you have transitional tax status, you will not be eligible for Working for Families credits.

For general information, see the Work and Income website. To see if you are eligible, visit Inland Revenue. Working for Families Work and Income. Working for Families Inland Revenue. Accommodation Supplement payments can help with rent, board, or the costs of owning a home. Whether you are eligible depends on how much you earn and other criteria. Accommodation Supplement Work and Income. Rebates are available to help low income homeowners with paying rates council tax. You claim the rebate with your local council.

It is available for people and families on low incomes who are most in need of housing, for as long as they need it. You may need to show that you have been looking for a place to live but have not been able to find one that meets your needs or budget.

You need to meet certain criteria to qualify for public housing. If you apply, you may have to wait for a while until a suitable property becomes available. Find a house Work and Income. Financial and practical assistance is available for NZ citizens and residents aged 65 and over who need medical help at home or may need to move to a rest home or hospital. Services include home support, caregiver services and 24 hour residential care.

The level of government support varies according to individual circumstances. Senior services Work and Income. Sign up to receive relevant job opportunities from New Zealand employers and practical advice on how to make your move to New Zealand a reality. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Family friendly. A warm welcome. Compare New Zealand. Compare to: the UK.

South Africa. Moving from the Pacific Islands. Susan St John launches into the troubled waters of Superannuation policy, and notes the policy ups and downs of recent years. She supports the New Zealand traditional approach of a tax-funded public pension system as simple and cost effective — but politically vulnerable. Problems seen ahead are achieving an agreed policy as demographic pressures build up.

The current pension without a surcharge is seen by St John as a recipe for intergenerational conflict as other age groups face more difficult situations and lesser entitlement to state assistance in a user pays and targeted environment.

The three editors review the outcomes of each of the reforms against government policy statements of objectives at the time, and conclude that "the objective of a fair and affordable welfare state has not been realised. If it is not realistic to treat social and economic policies separately, then a social critique would need to contain a detailed analysis of economic policies and their alternatives.

If social policies can be treated separately from economic policies, then the economic background of the s, including its unemployment levels and constrained public sector resource availability, needs to be taken as a given in analysing social policy options and initiatives. This would require a more careful differentiation of problems and achievements which were a consequence of social policy changes, and those which were a consequence of economic, social and demographic trends. This differentiation is not always clear in "Redesigning the Welfare State.

What the authors have produced is a wide-ranging contribution to the debate on the New Zealand welfare state. The debate itself is likely to go on for some time before any academic consensus emerges. Search msd. On this Page: General Perspectives. The sections that follow group key points from each of the contributors into broad topic areas.

General Perspectives Jonathan Boston summarises theories of the Welfare State and their application in a New Zealand welfare state in transition.

Health and Accident Compensation Toni Ashton examines the woes of health reforms, involving perhaps the most troubled of all the sectors. Education Michael Peters and Mark Olssen review changes in compulsory primary and secondary education since the "Tomorrows Schools" changes of Housing Laurence Murphy defines his housing contribution as a critique of "a policy regime that purported to empower consumers to meet their own housing needs via income support. Income Support and Poverty Robert Stephens discusses the increase in financial hardship following the benefit cuts of Disabled people Community Business Providers.

Health Expenditure Trends in New Zealand. Assorted discussion papers on asset testing for long-term care. Released to S. Health Expenditure Trends in New Zealand — Ministry of Social Development. New Zealand Living Standards Wellington: Ministry of Social Development. Ministry of Social Policy.

The Social Report Wellington: Ministry of Social Policy. The Best of Health. New Zealand Labour Party. Focus on Patients: Labour on Health.

Wellington: New Zealand Labour Party. Periodic Report Group. Preston, David. London: Edward Elgar. Retirement Policy and Research Centre. Shipley, Jenny. Social Assistance: Welfare That Works. Wellington: Government Printer. Southern Cross Healthcare Group.

Paper on Health Care in New Zealand. Auckland: Southern Cross Healthcare Group. St John, Susan.