The Government says efforts are being made to turn around poor outcomes for Maori when it comes to beneficiary statistics.

Latest figures show that while the number of Caucasians receiving Jobseeker Support payments fell by five per cent for the year to March, there was a 3.5 per cent increase in the number of Maori receiving that benefit.

In total Maori make up almost 36 per cent of those on the Jobseeker benefit.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said the issue is being looked at constantly.

"No it's not right and too many of them are second and third generation unemployed, which is of even more concern.That makes it a bit more difficult, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be working with those groups in a whole variety of ways."

The latest beneficiary figures show there's been an almost six per cent fall in the number of Sole Parent Support beneficiaries for the year to March.

Tolley is downplaying concerns solo parents may be trying to survive without welfare support.

Of those that have gone off the benefit only 45 per cent have said it's because they're going into work.

The Minster said it's easy to say that some solo parents might now be outside both the benefit and work system and have no support.

"I don't really see a lot of evidence of that. If there is anyone that is doing that, that's very serious, and I would hope they would come back and get the help that they need."

There's been a 10 per cent fall in the number of 18 to 24-year-old sole parent beneficiaries between March 2015 and March 2016.

More than 1500 fewer solo parents in that age bracket are now listed as collecting sole parent support payments - in total there are now around 13,700.

And the number's also a marked fall on figures recorded seven years ago - then there were over 20,000 thousand solo parents aged 18 to 24 that were listed as getting sole parent support.