Labour leader Helen Clark has unveiled a $50 million transitional package for people hit by the recession.
Miss Clark said Labour would introduce a new job search allowance, available for up to 13 weeks, to people who have been made redundant after at least five years in the workforce.
She said the rates of payment would be the same as the unemployment benefit, but the allowance would not be means-tested against a partner's income.
She said when one person in a two-earner family loses their job it can be very disruptive, as people tend to live up to the level of their income.
"In the past, a couple where one lost the job would have been means-tested out of any support.
"We've said 'time to put that behind us', we're going into an uncertain period. But in any case this is a desirable feature of the whole transition, relocation, social security system and it should stay for keeps.
"(It) doesn't require bureaucrats to make a whole lot of costly and difficult and complex decisions, very simple, very easy.
"If you take 13 weeks at the relevant rate it comes in at...just a little under $2,000."
Helen Clark said the new allowance would become a permanent feature of the social security system under a Labour government, and would be funded through general revenue, in the same way as other benefits.
Miss Clark said Labour has been working on its job search allowance for many weeks.
Rushed announcement, says Key
National Party leader John Key said the policy was poorly thought through and reactionary.
Mr Key said the rushed $50 million announcement has "gaping holes in it" and no detail on how it will be paid for.
He said National's package being released on Friday will be of a broadly similar size, but better structured.
Earlier, Mr Key told Nine to Noon the short-term financial relief his party would provide to people who may lose their jobs during the recession would not have to be paid back, and would be time-limited.
