Welfare reforms working

Anne Tolley announced:

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says the number of young mothers requiring a benefit has almost halved since 2009, meaning better lives for these families and fewer long-term beneficiaries.

Figures show that there were 48 per cent fewer teen mums on main benefits at the end of 2014 compared to 2009.

A 48% reduction in teen mums on the benefit is huge in just five years.

Teen parents spend an average 19 years on a benefit, and have some of the highest lifetime costs of any group on welfare.

So what has made the difference:

“Through our major investment in Youth Services we are enabling these young people to take part in education and training to give them the tools they need to get into employment.

“Alongside this we have increased their access to budgeting and parenting courses and childcare. 

I think the new work testing regime has also had an impact – especially the requirement that if you have further children on the benefit, you only have work testing obligations suspended for a year.