Collins clarifies welfare policy - briefly

While National is still talking tough about welfare, it continues to dither over how hard its policy will actually be.

National leader Don Brash said when outlining the party's welfare policy in February that domestic purposes beneficiaries would be required to name the father of their children in all but exceptional circumstances.

The women would face a "significantly more substantial financial penalty" than was now imposed, he said, without specifying just how large it would be.

The Government already places the same requirements on DPB recipients and Social Development Minister Steve Maharey increased the penalty by $6 per child a week soon after, bringing the current figure to $22.

In a speech at a party conference on Saturday, welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins appeared to clarify the National position by saying most women who flouted the rule would not be paid any welfare entitlement for their child.

"What we're saying is under all but quite exceptional circumstances, domestic purposes beneficiary recipients will name the father of their child if they wish to receive a benefit," she said to loud claps.

When questioned afterwards, however, and after consultation with Dr Brash, Mrs Collins backed away from making such a strong assertion.

She said it was possible some women might lose any entitlement if they repeatedly failed to comply, but National had yet to finalise its position.

"Do they lose the DPB, or do they get something else? There will be sanctions and for some people the sanctions will be quite severe."

But the children of women who didn't name their fathers were already suffering "so I'm concerned to ensure that we don't punish the child further". She said her target was the men who failed to contribute financially to their child's upbringing.

Her discomfort over the impact tough financial penalties would have on a child's upbringing echoes concerns expressed by the party's former welfare spokeswoman, Katherine Rich, who was sacked for not endorsing Dr Brash's line that there would be no automatic extra benefit entitlement for a woman who had a second child while on the DPB.

It highlights the gap which may emerge between tough talk on welfare policy and the actual details.

Mrs Collins said 19,000 women did not name the father of their children - a total of 33,000 children.