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\viewkind4\uc1\pard\fi-1800\li1800\tx1800\cf1\b\f0\fs20 From:\b0\tab Mark Stewart\par
\b Sent:\b0\tab Tuesday, 6 May 2003 13:44\par
\b Subject:\b0\tab ufnz media release\par
\pard\keepn\s1\cf0\lang2057\b\f1\fs28 Media Statement\par
\pard For immediate release\par
Tuesday, 6 May, 2003\par
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\pard\keepn\s2\qc\b\fs32 Turner: Sickness benefit check-up well overdue\par
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United Future\rquote s Judy Turner has welcomed news that the Government is looking at the number of sickness beneficiaries, after 13,000 unemployed people became sickness beneficiaries last year.\par
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\ldblquote And that figure is up 13 percent on the number who moved between the two benefits in the year 2000. \par
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\ldblquote If people are getting sicker, we need to know about it, but if there is something of a lifestyle choice going on here, then we need to address that smartly,\rdblquote  Mrs Turner, the party\rquote s social services spokeswoman, said.\par
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She recently raised the issue in Parliament, but she remains a little curious about the approach being taken by the Government.\par
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\ldblquote After initially denying that the increase in the number of sickness beneficiaries was a concern, Social Services Minister Steve Maharey is now doing what I suggested and investigating the problem.\rdblquote\par
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Mrs Turner pointed out to the House early last month that a decline in numbers on the dole had been off-set by a rise in numbers on the sickness benefit, raising the possibility of a new form of \ldblquote lifestyle beneficiary\rdblquote .\par
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\ldblquote It very much looked like the sickness benefit was becoming the income of choice for a certain sector of the community who were perhaps finding it hard to avoid work in an era of reasonably high employment levels.\rdblquote\par
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At the time, Mr Maharey responded by citing a range of factors, including changes to the mental health and ACC systems, and also noted that trend was consistent with other countries.\par
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Yet last week he announced that $400,000 of the $8 million to be spent on social research would be used to investigate the increase in sickness beneficiaries.\par
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\ldblquote While it is good to see the Government finally moving on the whole issue, it is a shame it waited quite a few weeks from when I raised it,\rdblquote  Mrs Turner said.\par
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Ends.\par
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\pard\keepn\s3\b\i Contact:\tab\tab Mark Stewart, Press Secretary, 027 293 4314\par
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