Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirms health-related beneficiaries will be part of 50,000 benefit cut target

More kids in school, fewer committing crimes and much fewer people on the benefit.

The Government unveiled its public service targets on Monday. We've already seen the health ones, but it's added targets across the rest of Government.

And that includes targeting those on the health or disability jobseekers benefit.

In 2022 only 42 percent of Year 8 students had reached their curriculum level for maths. The latest data on writing is even worse - only 35 percent of Year 8s hit the target in 2019.

So the Government's new target is for 80 percent of Year 8s at or above their curriculum level in reading, writing and maths by December 2030. That would go up from 35 to 56 percent in those subjects.

"A significant decline in educational achievement is a worry that does frankly keep me up at night," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, announcing the targets on Monday.

It's one of the nine goals National has set for the public service - all to be hit in six years.

Along with a focus on law and order and education, the Government is honing in on welfare. It wants to slash benefit numbers by 50,000.

In December 2023 there were about 190,000 people on the Jobseeker Benefit. But just over 80,000 of those were receiving it because they have a health condition or disability - what used to be known as the sickness benefit. That leaves nearly 110,000 who are deemed 'work ready'.

The 50,000 reduction won't just apply to the work-ready though. It'll target those on the health or disability jobseekers benefit.

"They may want to do part-time work. They may want to get work-ready. They might want to do more programmes in preparation for work," Luxon said.

At the end of last year there were 3100 households living in emergency housing. The Goverment wants that reduced by 75 percent, meaning more than 2000 households will need to be moved out of the motels.

"I don't think 3100 households waking up this morning in emergency housing and motels, being there often for longer than 12 weeks is actually a success," Luxon said.

The law and order focus is on youth offending and violent crime with targets of 20,000 fewer victims of assault, robbery, or sexual assault. Last year there were 185,000 victims.

And it targets a 15 percent reduction in the number of children who are persistent offenders.

The target for youth offending is the lowest of all - meeting that 15 percent reduction would still see about 900 recidivist youth offenders.

When asked if he was comfortable with this, Luxon responded "no but I want to start somewhere".

A six-year stretch goal also a starting point.