43983 (2024). Ricardo Menéndez March to the Minister for Social Development and Employment

43983 (2024). Ricardo Menéndez March to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What is the proportion, if any, of clients who are proactively engaged with by employment-focused case managers every month to support them into employment?

Hon Louise Upston: I refer the Member to the attached tables. • Table One: The proportion of working age main benefit clients in case management as at the end of June 2024 • Table Two: The number of working age main benefit clients in case management and proactively engaged as at end of June 2024. The Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) have advised that the external reporting measures clients who have had an appointment or seminar resulted as ‘attended’ within the past four weeks. It does not consider whether the client has been engaged with through any other channel – such as, clients attending a programme or course, referred to job vacancies or general calls and emails in between booked appointment times. All those who have full time work obligations and are new to benefit will be booked into Kōrero Mahi – Let's Talk Work seminars, to be attended within the first two weeks on a benefit. Engagement data is derived from operational data and is subject to movement over time. As I announced on 15 July 2024, a phone-based case management service will see 4,000 more job seekers under the age of 25 supported to find work.