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Politics live: poll reveals hung parliament and rising unemployment despite new benefit rules

Politics live: poll reveals hung parliament and rising unemployment despite new benefit rules

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The coalition insists there are jobs for recipients, despite a rise in the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Around 205,000 people now benefit from job seeker assistance and the government is putting in place individual action plans with sanctions if they are not followed.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said unemployment was expected to rise further before falling.

This comes as a new poll shows bad news for Luxon.

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