Nats’ cuts cause benefit overpayments to rise

Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, November 22nd, 2011 - 8 comments
Categories: welfare - Tags:

Checking out data matches that show beneficiaries may have moved overseas and stopping their benefit if they have. That’s back-office work, eh? Exactly the kind of ‘unsexy’ jobs National has been cutting. Well, MSD stopped data matching because its resource were stretched too thin – and overpayments doubled to $19m. Heck of a job, National.

While National is fantasising over creating MSD flying squads to bust down front doors in South Auckland and drag solo mums away from their one year olds and into a job at McDonald’s, they’re letting the real work slip. While Paula Bennett promises to reduce benefit fraud, millions are being wasted simply because people who go overseas neglect to tell MSD before they go.

By letting people get money they’re not entitled to, lazy, half-arsed National is not only making the benefit system more expensive than it needs to be, it is undermining the legitimacy of a system that is not abused or misused by the vast majority of recipients but provides them and their families with a vital life-line.

It’s emblematic of a government that has squandered 3 years by trying to come up with silver bullet solutions and failing to do the day by day work that actually makes government function efficiently and cost-effectively.

The sooner they’re back on the Opposition benches, the better for the country.

8 comments on “Nats’ cuts cause benefit overpayments to rise ”

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  1. shreddakj 1
    22 November 2011 at 11:44 am

    Typical of neo-liberals and their axiomatic view of the public service that the smaller it is the better. This is a perfect example of just how wrong they are. It won’t affect their delusion though, after public service funding to important departments is increased when Labour gets in again, National will trot out the same axiom in their campaign, that they need to cut back on “public service bloat”. Mark my words.

  2. infused 2
    22 November 2011 at 11:48 am

    Or, if they were going overseas they could stop it themselves? Where is the responsibility?

    • Colonial Viper 2.1
      22 November 2011 at 11:58 am

      Cut back office functions, the abilkity of govt department to enforce and audit declines.

      To answer your question, Govt departments and Ministers are responsible for making sure that tax payers money is being used properly.

  3. Richard Watts 3
    22 November 2011 at 12:22 pm

    I guess National are fond of false economy!

  4. Uturn 4
    22 November 2011 at 3:16 pm

    Sounds familiar somehow: create a crisis, blame the intended victims, reinforce your argument. National can now promote the idea that beneficiaries are thieving bludgers with increased intensity and ship them off to work camps.

    All they need to do in the next couple of days is get some young Nats to set fire to the The Beehive, blame the Left, declare a state of emergency and sieze control.

    Sure it’s been done before somewhere…

  5. logie97 5
    22 November 2011 at 5:56 pm

    Fraud – how about this?
    Apparently the Petulant Bean’s billboards in her electorate state she is proud to be a Westie.
    So proud that she apparently moved to Mount Eden. (And having spent most of her pre-political life in Taupo, where does the West Auckland bit come in apart from her time as a beneficiary …)

  6. KerryC 6
    23 November 2011 at 1:51 am

    According to an election letter I just opened asking for my vote, she apparently lives in Oratia having moved from Western Heights a couple of years ago.
    I saw the leopard car she drives on Parrs Cross Rd 2 weeks ago

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