Following a week of controversy after Ms Bennett released the income details of two solo mothers, Natasha Fuller and Jennifer Johnston, who criticised cuts to the Training Incentive Allowance (TIA), she has remained staunch in her position.
Ms Bennett said the women could continue with their tertiary study without the TIA.
"I can certainly say from experience that it's going to be hard work," she told TVNZ's Q+A this morning.
While she supports women who chose to stay at home with their young children, Ms Bennett believes women should be working at least 15 hours once their children are at school.
Ms Bennett said parents on the Dependent Persons Benefit (DPB) should work 15 hours a week once their youngest child is six.
"I mean I'd actually like to see, since we've got 20 hours (free early childhood education) there as well, that we have those sorts of training opportunities for women to be (at) while their children are having that 20 hours of early childhood education.
"That we get them skilled up, so that by the time they get to that youngest being six-years-old they can get that sort of part-time work that hopefully fits in with the hours that the kids are there."
Ms Bennett, who famously put herself through university while a single mother on the DPB, said she was a "better mum" when she was working.
"It suited me. I actually needed the adult stimulation and my brain to be ticking over."
As for cutting the TIA, Ms Bennett said parents on the benefit could get a student loan for tertiary study like any other potential student.
The TIA was still available for those wanting to study at levels 1,2 and 3. The policy of having mothers work 15 hours a week had been put on hold due to the recession but was likely to be introduced in "about a year".
There needed to be more jobs first so people could find jobs that suited them, Ms Bennett said.
Another policy placed on hold by the recession was forcing long-term unemployed (those with more than one year on the dole) to find work.
People would take a work test and face their benefit being cut if they did not accept a job.
"That'll be in place before the next election," Ms Bennett said.
Economic circumstance meant the Government had "softened" because there were now 34,000 new people on the unemployment benefit, she said.
"Our focus has got a lot broader and the country expects us to be actually concentrating on them and their skills and their jobs as well, and that's what we're doing."
Ms Bennett revealed that Natasha Fuller was receiving $715 a week and Jennifer Johnston $554 a week.
Both solo mothers had complained about the Government's decision to scrap the training incentive allowance and said without it they would not be able to continue courses which would help them get jobs.
A complaint was laid with Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff over the release of the information.
NZPA
source: newshub archive
