A lift in beneficiaries could suggest recent policy decisions are taking us in the wrong direction. 

At the end of March, just over 409-thousand people were on a main benefit, almost three percent more than the year prior.

Jobseeker numbers are up 2.6 percent.

Auckland University Associate Economics Professor Susan St John told Ryan Bridge many of the ways we've tried to bring down spending have impacted the labour market.

She says until we can recognise, we're in a deep recession it's going to get worse, and we need the Government to step up, otherwise we're stuffed.