KEY POINTS:
The Government is under fire over projections in last Thursday's Budget forecasting a 10 per cent increase in the number of people on sickness and invalid benefits over the next three years.
The National Party says all Labour has to show for its efforts is a series of failed pilot programmes.
Welfare Spokeswoman Judith Collins says when Labour first came into office one of the first things they did was open the floodgates so more people could get on the benefit, and that is exactly what has happened
Ms Collins says the Welfare Minister Steve Maharey himself has admitted nearly a quarter of the those receiving these benefits are able to work, yet he is still forecasting major rises.
She says even a number of costly pilot schemes failed to push beneficiaries back into the workplace. Ms Collins says Labour is trying to deal with people once they are on a benefit, but the real issue is the number of people signing on in the first place.
She says the longer people stay on benefits, the more likely they are to lose the confidence they need to participate in the workplace.
- NEWSTALK ZB
