Tighter benefit checks now

Press, 1 July 1983, Page 4

Tighter benefit checks now

Illegal recipients of social welfare benefits who did not take advantage of last month’s amnesty are now likely to face a greater chance of being caught and prosecuted. In Christchurch, 35 people responded to the Social Welfare Department’s national amnesty on illegally drawn benefits which ended yesterday. From this month, things will be different, according to a spokesman from the department’s benefits and pensions division in Christchurch, Mr A. M. McKenzie.

The department has formed an inquiry unit — a group of 21 officers who will visit beneficiaries’

homes at least every six months.

Mr McKenzie said the aim of the new project was to ensure that beneficiaries were being paid what they were entitled to — no more and no less. There might be some beneficiaries eligible for a particular allowance who were not aware of it, he said.

“Anybody illegally receiving a benefit is now more likely to be found out. Prosecution would probably follow,” said Mr McKenzie.

Anyone in this category who wanted to admit to illegally drawing a benefit would “probably still be treated leniently” if they

visited the department today, Mr McKenzie said. Of the 35 people who responded to the amnesty, 16 had been drawing the domestic purposes benefit, 13 had been drawing the unemployment benefit, and the remainder had been receiving other benefits such as National Superannuation.

These benefits cost almost $3500 each week, Mr McKenzie said. Some of the beneficiaries had been receiving money illegally for more than a year.

Most of the beneficiaries had been either working or living in a de facto relationship while receiving a benefit.