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National says the Ministry of Social Development is employing a record number of staff while the number of benefits they deliver has fallen. MP Judith Collins, National's welfare spokeswoman, issued figures yesterday showing ministry staff increased from 5085 in 2002 to 6299 last year, while the number of benefits they handled fell from 818,561 to 797,040 over the same period.
Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope said new roles the ministry had taken over since 2002 included the Office for Disability Issues, the Office for Senior Citizens, the merger of Child, Youth and Family into the ministry and the Ministry of Youth Development.
