While the number of sickness benefit recipients living between Timaru and Invercargill has increased from 3479 to 3589 in the past year, the number of recipients in Dunedin and Oamaru has declined by 3.1% and 7.7% respectively.
Work and Income centres in Alexandra, Balclutha, Dunedin City, Gore, Invercargill, Oamaru and Timaru have also reported declines in the number of people receiving the invalid's benefit.
The largest declines were recorded in Balclutha (7.8%), Invercargill (4%), Oamaru and Gore (3%).
Overall, invalid's beneficiaries in the southern region decreased 2.1% between December 2009 and December 2010.
The number of domestic purposes beneficiaries also declined marginally in Alexandra (from 182 to 178) and Mosgiel (247-246), and remained static in Balclutha (196) during the past year.
However, overall the number increased from 5417 to 5705 in the southern region between December 2009 and December 2010.
Work and Income southern regional commissioner for social development, John Allen, said the decline was expected because the agency had been working hard for the past two years, actively looking for work for people on sickness and invalid benefits.
Mr Allen said those on sickness benefits often had illnesses from which they would eventually recover.
Those on the invalid's benefit had permanent disabilities or terminal illnesses.
"A lot of these people are bursting out of their skin to get back to work if they can.
"Our aim has been to find out what they can do, as opposed to what they can't do.
"I don't believe the decline is due to tougher criteria for these benefits."
Mr Allen was pleased with the results because nationwide figures showed sickness beneficiaries had increased from 59,158 to 59,988; invalid beneficiaries had increased from 85,038 to 85,105; and domestic purposes beneficiaries had increased from 109,289 to 112,805 in the past year.
Ministry statistics show the number of people nationally receiving the main benefits (unemployment, domestic purposes, sickness, and invalids) rose steadily since 2007, when about 270,000 people received benefits.
In December last year, the total had reached 352,707.
