A beneficiaries advocate says election promises to impose sanctions on people who don't find a job are not helpful.
The National Party has vowed to dock the pay of some beneficiaries if they aren't doing enough to find employment.
And New Zealand First is proposing a two-year cap on the job seeker benefit over a person's lifetime.
Advocate Kay Brereton says the evidence suggests strict sanctions can be counterproductive.
Brereton spoke to Corin Dann.