Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says plans to get sole parents on the Domestic Purposes Benefit back to work will have to be be phased in.
The Government is proposing they complete at least 15 hours per week of training or work once their youngest child turns six.
Ms Bennett told Morning Report there are not enough resources to deal with that number of women and men all at once.
But despite the high rate of unemployment, she's confident there will enough work for them to go into, saying there are signs of business confidence increasing.
Ms Bennett said the proposal will need to go through processes, so it won't be introduced until later this year and won't begin until next year.
