1.14. In addition the Review recommended: Establish strategies to address structural discrimination in health, education and justice services. 1.15. The Government agreed, responding that it would: Continue to seek new ways to deliver health, education and justice services in a way that meets the needs of people using those services. Recommendation 36 (b) Ensure that the ongoing welfare reforms do not discriminate against disadvantaged groups and that an independent evaluation of their gendered impact is made. 1.16. The Human Rights Commission has consistently stated that “specific population groups (including disabled people, Māori and women) will be disproportionately affected by the welfare reforms. Families on benefits are more likely to be those with greater caring responsibilities for young children or for ill and disabled family members.”3 The Commission has repeated the recommendation of the CEDAW committee for an independent evaluation of the gendered impact of the reforms to Government. 1.17. The Commission called for greater public access to relevant Ministry of Social Development administrative data in sufficient detail to disaggregate the impact on groups vulnerable to systemic disadvantage, for example beneficiaries with disabilities. 1.18. Further, the Commission recommended that government funding be provided for an independent evaluation on the impact of the welfare reforms on levels of:  Hardship  Poverty  Inequality and/or  Direct or indirect discrimination against vulnerable groups. 1.19. The Commission advised that monitoring and evaluation should involve consultation with those currently receiving benefits since welfare reforms were introduced and population groups who are disproportionately reliant on benefits as their primary source of income. 1.20. The welfare reforms and their impact on the most vulnerable were raised consistently by stakeholders in their submissions to the UPR particularly in relation to impact on poverty. 1.21. By contrast the government has said: New Zealand’s social assistance programmes aim to ensure an adequate standard of living and provide opportunities for all to participate fully in society, regardless of ethnicity or gender. Recent reform of the system has helped to improve social and economic outcomes. The Government has introduced welfare reforms based on the advice of the Welfare Working Group, an independent advisory group appointed by the Government. These changes are intended to improve social and economic outcomes for 3 Human Rights Commission November 2012 Submission to the Social Services Committee on the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill https://www.google.co.nz/?gws_rd=ssl#q=human+rights+commission+submission+on+social+security +(benefit+categories+and+work+focus)