1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,559 Speaker 1: The Ministry of Social Development is introducing mandatory monthly phone 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: calls with case managers for four thousand people on the 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: Job Seeker Support Benefit. The Ministry is bringing in a 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: new phone based case management service for eighteen to twenty 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: four year olds and case managers will be getting in 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: touch with their clients at least once a month. So 7 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: any job seeker who skips their phone call without a 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: good reason could face sanctions. Louise Upston is the Social 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: Development and Employment Minister and as with US now Kilder Minister. 10 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 1: So how's this going to work? 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: Well, it's going to mean that approximately four thousand young 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 2: New Zealanders on the Job Seeker Benefit will have regular 13 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: phone contact with a case manager. It's expecting that it'll 14 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 2: be about once a month and it means staying in 15 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,279 Speaker 2: touch with the job seeker will improve their chances of 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 2: getting into work. 17 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: Why haven't we had phone based case management before now? 18 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: Well, it was done for a period of time during COVID. 19 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: But what I want to see is a welfare system 20 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 2: that's much more active, so for those who are on 21 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 2: the job Seeker Benefit, getting more contact with the frontline 22 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: team at MSD and making sure that the job seekers 23 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: know the steps that they can take to help their 24 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: chances of getting into work right. 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: So it basically means more engagement between case managers and 26 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: people who are on a benefit. But how does it 27 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: actually help people get after the benefit and into work. 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: Well, sometimes it'll be a matter of talking about what 29 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: steps ave been taking. For example, if they're being applying 30 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: for positions but not getting job interviews, being able to 31 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 2: understand why not. It might be that their CV needs 32 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: some improving, so they can get assistance to do that. 33 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: It might be, for example, one of the objections is 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 2: they haven't got their driver's license, so that job seeker 35 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 2: can be connected to a training provider that can help 36 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: get their driver's license, so getting rid of a barrier 37 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: that they're facing in their job search. 38 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: And to be totally clear, previously, except for that period 39 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: during COVID, the way that these people on a benefit 40 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: would have interacted with their case manager is it in 41 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,119 Speaker 1: a face to face meeting, yes. 42 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 2: Or not at all, So there will be some Previously, 43 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: there would be some job seekers who, other than applying 44 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: for the benefit and getting it granted, don't have any 45 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: contact with the MSD for twelve months, which is the 46 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 2: time they then apply again to carry on with their benefit. 47 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: That's not good enough. We need to make sure there 48 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 2: is far more contact between MSD frontline workers and job 49 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: seekers so that people don't get stuck on welfare. We 50 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: want to take practical steps to help them into work. 51 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: I know it was a pretty different labor market to 52 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: say the least, but is there anything from the COVID 53 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: experience that can inform you when it comes to the 54 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: number of people this might actually help off benefits this 55 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: time round. 56 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: Well, we've got targets. We've got a target to reduce 57 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 2: the number of people on the job Seeker Benefit by 58 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 2: fifty thousand, which is an ambitious target. So it will 59 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 2: mean each service center in each region will have targets, 60 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: and it means focusing on particularly young people. And this 61 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 2: phone based case management is just another of the steps 62 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 2: that we believe will help people back into work. 63 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: Do you know how many people after this is introduced 64 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: will still be without a case manager? 65 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: Yes? Well, at the moment, only about a third of 66 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: people on jobs Seeker Benefit have case management, so we'll 67 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 2: be lifting it up to fifty seven thousand, and so 68 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: we're focusing it on those that we think need that 69 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 2: more focused support. There will be some people that come 70 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: onto the job Seeker Benefit and they're able to able 71 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 2: to reconnect to work quite quickly. But there's other measures 72 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: that we've taken that mean job seekers contact with work 73 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: and income increases. And so it's a very deliberate process 74 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 2: for us to ensure job seekers have more contact with MSD. 75 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: Case management is just one of those activities. 76 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: And of course one of the consequences if these people 77 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: don't engage with their case manager via phone calls is 78 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: that they can potentially face sanctions. So what happens if 79 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: someone skips their phone call? How does that process work? 80 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's what we call a work obligation. So 81 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 2: if they're on the job Seeker Benefit, they'll have a 82 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,239 Speaker 2: number of work obligations. For someone who's in the phone 83 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 2: case management, it's been taking the phone call. And if 84 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 2: they don't do that and they don't have a sufficient 85 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: reason for doing so, they could have their benefit reduced 86 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: or suspended or in the worst case scenario, canceled. 87 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: How many phone calls are they allowed to skip before 88 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: they start facing sanctions. 89 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: Well, you know, there wouldn't be too many reasons that 90 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 2: you can't take a. 91 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: Phone call you a GenZ minister, the famous famously don't 92 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: like answering the phone. 93 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 2: Got a few, got a few in the household. But 94 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: you know the reality is this will be a work obligation. 95 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 2: You know, we want people to be able to be 96 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: supported back into jobs. We don't want them being stuck 97 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 2: on welfare. So this is a very practical step and 98 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 2: the expectation is for someone on the jobs you could 99 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 2: benefit that they're taking the necessary steps themselves. So yes, 100 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 2: it's a work obligation and they will potentially face a 101 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 2: consequence if they're not there to take the call. 102 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: Really appreciate your time. Thank you very much, minister. There 103 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: is Louise Upston, who's of course the Social Development and 104 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: Employment Ministers. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen 105 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 106 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.