A review group is to consider welfare reforms including unemployment insurance, where workers pre-fund future benefits.
A welfare working group has been set up to advise the Government on ways to reduce long term welfare dependency, and options for funding welfare in the future.
It will consider overseas examples of welfare funding, including insurance schemes, such as a system in Canada.
Employees there pay a percentage of their salary into the scheme, some of which they get back in weekly payments if they lose their jobs.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says she's not pre-empting anything, but thinks some of the international models are worth investigating.
