If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- Who will no longer be eligible for the Jobseeker benefit?
- What is the Jobseeker benefit?
- When will the changes come in?
- What will the parental income limit be?
- Which 18- and 19-year-olds will still be eligible for the benefit?
- What do the Prime Minister and the Social Development and Employment Minister expect young people aged 18 and 19 to be doing?
- Which sector did the Prime Minister say had jobs available?
- Who doesn’t agree with the Prime Minister?
- What is the official unemployment rate?
- Why are some organisations worried?
Text
Last Sunday, 5 October, the Government announced the details for the change to eligibility for the Jobseeker benefit for 18- and 19-year-olds. These young people will no longer be able to receive the Jobseeker benefit if their parents earn more than $65,000.
The Jobseeker benefit is a weekly payment from the government that helps people while they are looking for work. From November 2026, 18- and 19-year-olds who apply for Jobseeker Support will have to pass a Parental Assistance Test. This includes a parental income test, to show if their parents earn at or below the income limit, and/ or a parental support gap test, to demonstrate that the young people cannot rely on their parents for support. The income limit will be set at $65,529. However, 18- and 19-year-olds who have children or who are estranged from their parents could still access support.
This change was first announced in the Budget in May, but at that time, the Government had not finalised the limits. The change was originally going to come into effect in July 2027, but the Government has decided to implement it earlier.
The announcement was made by the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, and the Social Development and Employment Minister, Louise Upston. They said that they want parents to support their children if possible, instead of the state. They also said that they expect young people aged 18 and 19 to be in further education, training, or a job, and they do not want them to be on a benefit.
The Prime Minister also said that there are jobs available in the horticulture sector, for example, on apple, kiwifruit or kūmara farms. However, according to chief executives in some of those industries, there are no job vacancies at the moment, although there may be some seasonal work over summer or in March. It is also not clear if there are a lot of jobs currently available. The official unemployment rate is 5.2 percent, with 158,000 people unemployed. Many people are reporting that it is very difficult to find work. With this change to the Jobseeker benefit, some organisations are worried that families will become more stressed or that more young people will become homeless.
Vocabulary
announce – to officially tell people something, especially a plan or decision
eligibility – the state or fact of being allowed to do something, for example, because you are the right age, have the right qualifications
eligible – if you are eligible for something, you are able or allowed to do it
estranged from – if someone is estranged from their family, they no longer see or talk to them because of an argument
Budget – an official statement from the government about how much income it has and how much it will spend
come into effect – if a law or rule comes into effect, it officially starts
horticulture – the practice or science of growing flowers, fruit, and vegetables
kūmara – a sweet potato
chief executive – the person who has the highest position in a company or organisation
vacancy – a job that is available for someone to do
seasonal – happening or needed in a particular season
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. Who will no longer be eligible for the Jobseeker benefit?
18- and 19-year-olds
b. What is the Jobseeker benefit?
A weekly payment from the government that helps people while they are looking for work
c. When will the changes come in?
November 2026
d. What will the parental income limit be?
$65,529
e. Which 18- and 19-year-olds will still be eligible for the benefit?
Those who have children or who are estranged from their parents
f. What do the Prime Minister and the Social Development and Employment Minister expect young people aged 18 and 19 to be doing?
They should be in further education, training, or a job
g. Which sector did the Prime Minister say had jobs available?
The horticulture sector
h. Who doesn’t agree with the Prime Minister?
Chief executives in some of those industries
i. What is the official unemployment rate?
5.2 percent
j. Why are some organisations worried?
They’re worried that families will become more stressed or that more young people will become homeless