Welfare spending rises

Press, 20 August 1983, Page 13

Welfare spending rises

PA Wellington The Social Welfare Department’s over-all expenditure increased by 23.7 per cent in the March year, according to the department’s annual report tabled in Parliament. The total expenditure for the year was $3700 million compared with $2991 million in 1981-82. Benefits, pensions and national superannuation comprised 96 per cent of the total, as well as having the greatest increase — 24 per

cent. Staffing levels were increased to relieve the work pressure caused by the increasing number of applications for benefits, especially those for unemployment. Expenditure on administration services increased by 16.4 per cent to $69.4 million, and on social work services by 17.9 per cent to $79.2 million. Of 1500 cases in each of the four benefit categories examined, a total of 734 beneficiaries were found to

have received incorrect payments. Of these, 44.6 per cent occurred through staff error or systems or procedural failure, and 55.4 per cent were the result of beneficiary error. These results indicated an overpayment of $19.6 million, and underpayment of $4.7 million. The number of people receiving superannuation increased from 430,175 at March 31, 1982, to 441,789, and total expenditure was $2,418,930,310.