Key Facts at the end of March 2012

Auckland Region

This fact sheet defines the working-age population as aged 18–64 years, to reflect the minimum age of entitlement to most benefits and the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation. All information in this fact sheet refers to working-age recipients of the benefits concerned. Trends in numbers receiving main benefits are more reliably shown by comparisons between the same quarter 12 months apart than by comparisons between consecutive quarters.

All main benefits[1]

Characteristics of working-age recipients of main benefits (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2007 and at the end of March 2012

Percentage of recipients who were: / Mar-2007 / Mar-2012
Male / 36.0 / 40.5
Female / 64.0 / 59.5
Māori / 26.9 / 27.6
Pacific people / 18.5 / 19.1
18–24 years / 14.3 / 17.2
25–39 years / 36.1 / 32.4
40–54 years / 30.9 / 32.4
55–64 years / 18.7 / 18.0
Declaring earnings / 11.5 / 10.1
Caring for a dependent child aged under 6 years / 24.4 / 22.9
Number of working-age recipients of a main benefit (aged 18–64 years) / 82,042 / 104,170

Source: IAP, numbers of working-age recipients of a main benefit at the end of March.

Note:Numbers receiving a main benefit exclude the partners, spouses and dependents of recipients of

a main benefit.

Duration receiving a main benefit as a proportion of all working-age recipients of main benefits (aged 18–64 years)

Proportion of working-age recipients of main benefits
Proportion continuously receiving current benefit:
Less than one year / 33.5
Between one and four years / 34.4
Between four and ten years / 20.9
10 years or more / 11.2
Proportion continuously receiving any benefit:
Less than one year / 26.2
Between one and four years / 33.4
Between four and ten years / 21.9
10 years or more / 18.5

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age recipients of main benefits at the end of March 2012.
Unemployment Benefit[2]

Characteristics of working-age Unemployment Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2007 and the end of March 2012

Percentage of recipients who were: / Mar-2007 / Mar-2012
Male / 62.4 / 68.0
Female / 37.6 / 32.0
Māori / 27.4 / 28.1
Pacific people / 19.8 / 20.4
18–24 years / 19.7 / 28.5
25–39 years / 31.8 / 31.7
40–54 years / 23.8 / 27.7
55–64 years / 24.7 / 12.1
Declaring earnings / 9.7 / 9.0
Caring for a dependent child aged under 6 years / 8.0 / 8.4
Number of working-age Unemployment Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years) / 8,946 / 18,187

Source: IAP, numbers of working-age Unemployment Benefit recipients at the end of March.

Note:Numbers receiving an Unemployment Benefit exclude the partners, spouses and dependents of Unemployment Benefit recipients.

Duration receiving an Unemployment Benefit as a proportion of working-age Unemployment Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years)

Proportion of working-
age Unemployment Benefit recipients
Proportion continuously receiving current benefit:
Less than one year / 74.2
Between one and four years / 24.4
Between four and ten years / 1.3
10 years or more / 0.1
Proportion continuously receiving any benefit:
Less than one year / 60.3
Between one and four years / 32.5
Between four and ten years / 5.2
10 years or more / 2.0

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age Unemployment Benefit recipients at the end of March 2012.

Domestic Purposes Benefit[3]

Characteristics of working-age Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2007 and at the end of March 2012

Percentage of recipients who were: / Mar-2007 / Mar-2012
Male / 9.5 / 12.1
Female / 90.5 / 87.9
Māori / 34.6 / 35.3
Pacific people / 22.7 / 23.6
18–19 years / 3.0 / 2.6
20–24 years / 14.2 / 16.1
25–39 years / 51.7 / 45.7
40–54 years / 27.2 / 30.0
55–64 years / 3.9 / 5.6
Declaring earnings / 14.5 / 12.5
Caring for a dependent child aged 6 years or under* / 61.7 / 62.0
Caring for a dependent child aged 7–13 years* / 29.0 / 27.3
Caring for a dependent child aged 14 years or over* / 9.3 / 10.7
Caring for two or more dependent children* / 52.7 / 49.6
Number of working-age Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years) / 32,520 / 39,041

Source: IAP, numbers of working-age Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients at the end of March.

Note:* proportions shown are for clients receiving a Domestic Purposes Benefit – Sole Parents only.

Duration receiving a Domestic Purposes Benefit as a proportion of working-age Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years)

Proportion of working- age Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients
Proportion continuously receiving current benefit:
Less than one year / 22.5
Between one and four years / 40.8
Between four and ten years / 25.9
10 years or more / 10.8
Proportion continuously receiving any benefit:
Less than one year / 17.2
Between one and four years / 38.9
Between four and ten years / 27.9
10 years or more / 16.0

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age Domestic Purposes Benefit recipients at the end of March 2012.

Sickness Benefit[4]

Characteristics of working-age Sickness Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2007 and the end of March 2012

Percentage of recipients who were: / Mar-2007 / Mar-2012
Male / 55.6 / 56.9
Female / 44.4 / 43.1
Māori / 20.7 / 21.7
Pacific people / 14.3 / 13.5
18–24 years / 11.5 / 11.9
25–39 years / 28.6 / 24.3
40–54 years / 36.1 / 37.3
55–64 years / 23.7 / 26.6
Declaring earnings / 7.9 / 7.6
Caring for a dependent child aged under 6 years / 7.5 / 5.8
Number of working-age Sickness Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years) / 17,307 / 22,758

Source: IAP, numbers of working-age Sickness Benefit recipients at the end of March.

Note:Numbers receiving a Sickness Benefit exclude the partners, spouses and dependents of Sickness Benefit recipients.

Main incapacity group for working-age Sickness Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2012

Incapacity group / Proportion of working- age Sickness Benefit recipients
Psychological or psychiatric conditions / 38.3
Musculo-skeletal system disorders / 15.0
Accidents / 6.8
Cardio-vascular disorders / 6.5
Pregnancy-related conditions / 2.2
Other disorders and conditions / 31.2
Total / 100.0

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age Sickness Benefit recipients at the end of March 2012.

Duration receiving a Sickness Benefit as a proportion of working-age Sickness Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years)

Proportion of working- age Sickness Benefit recipients
Proportion continuously receiving current benefit:
Less than one year / 39.2
Between one and four years / 40.8
Between four and ten years / 17.4
10 years or more / 2.5
Proportion continuously receiving any benefit:
Less than one year / 30.5
Between one and four years / 39.9
Between four and ten years / 19.6
10 years or more / 10.0

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age Sickness Benefit recipients at the end of March 2012.

Invalid’s Benefit

Characteristics of working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2007 and the end of March 2012

Percentage of recipients who were: / Mar-2007 / Mar-2012
Male / 53.2 / 54.5
Female / 46.8 / 45.5
Māori / 21.3 / 20.8
Pacific people / 12.3 / 13.8
18–24 years / 7.8 / 8.8
25–39 years / 22.3 / 19.8
40–54 years / 37.2 / 37.2
55–64 years / 32.7 / 34.2
Declaring earnings / 10.7 / 9.4
Caring for a dependent child aged under 6 years / 3.0 / 2.6
Number of working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years) / 18,160 / 20,129

Source: IAP, numbers of working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients at the end of March.

Note:Numbers receiving an Invalid’s Benefit exclude the partners, spouses and dependents of Invalid’s Benefit recipients.

Main incapacity groups for working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years), at the end of March 2012

Incapacity group / Proportion of working- age Invalid’s Benefit recipients
Psychological or psychiatric conditions / 30.8
Intellectual disability / 12.5
Musculo-skeletal system disorders / 9.0
Nervous system disorders / 8.0
Cardio-vascular disorders / 7.9
Accidents / 3.5
Cancer and congenital conditions / 8.2
Other disorders and conditions / 20.2
Total / 100.0

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients at the end of March 2012.

Duration receiving an Invalid’s Benefit as a proportion of working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients (aged 18–64 years)

Proportion of working-
age Invalid’s Benefit recipients
Proportion continuously receiving current benefit:
Less than one year / 7.8
Between one and four years / 25.7
Between four and ten years / 34.0
10 years or more / 32.6
Proportion continuously receiving any benefit:
Less than one year / 5.2
Between one and four years / 16.1
Between four and ten years / 29.0
10 years or more / 49.8

Source: IAP, proportion of working-age Invalid’s Benefit recipients at the end of March 2012.

Centre for Social Research and Evaluation Regional Fact Sheet – Auckland region

Ministry of Social Development March 2012

[1] Includes Unemployment Benefits, Unemployment Benefits – Hardship (includes Unemployment Benefits – Student – Hardship), Independent Youth Benefits, Domestic Purposes Benefits – Sole Parent, Domestic Purposes Benefits – Care of Sick or Infirm, Domestic Purposes Benefits – Women Alone, Sickness Benefits, Sickness Benefits – Hardship, Emergency Maintenance Allowances, Invalid’s Benefits, Widow’s Benefits and Emergency Benefits.

[2] Includes Unemployment Benefits and Unemployment Benefits – Hardship (excludes Unemployment

Benefits – Student – Hardship).

[3] Includes Domestic Purposes Benefits – Sole Parent, Domestic Purposes Benefits – Women Alone,

Domestic Purposes Benefits – Care of Sick or Infirm, and Emergency Maintenance Allowances.

[4] Includes Sickness Benefits and Sickness Benefits – Hardship.