Listen Now: 
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei is accusing Social Development Minister Paula Bennett of deliberately putting families at risk with her welfare reforms.
Since Monday, former sickness beneficiaries along with the unemployed have been put on the new Jobseeker Support benefit and expected to be actively seeking work.
Beneficiaries are subject to drug tests and can have their benefits docked for a range of infringements, including not putting their children into early childhood education.
Ms Turei says it’s an attack on the poor by Ms Bennett and the National Party.
"She had advice that these reforms would cause children harm in a variety of ways, and she has ignored that advice, so she knows that these reforms will damage families and damage kids, but she is doing it anyway," she says.
Ms Turei says there is nothing in the reforms that will create jobs.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
RELATED NEWS
