Liable parents ‘abusing system by fleeing’

Press, 8 December 1987, Page 9

Liable parents ‘abusing system by fleeing’

Too many non-custodial parents were abusing the system by fleeing to Australia to avoid paying liable parent payments, a meeting of beneficiaries was told last evening. "It is often stated that beneficiaries are bludgers and abuse the system,” said a spokesperson for the Christian Family Movement Solo Parents’ Support Group, Mrs Alison Weir. "We suggest that moneys owed the Government by liable parents outweighs any ripping off of the system beneficiaries are accused of,” she said. Mrs Weir was addressing a meeting called by the group to discuss issues concerning beneficiaries. Mrs Weir said that the Minister of Social Welfare, Dr Cullen, had told

the group recently that the Government was trying to entice the Australian Government to begin a Liable Parent Contribution scheme. If that was successful, there would be a reciprocal agreement between the two countries. Australia would then no longer be so welcoming for the New Zealand liable parent wanting to escape paying, she said. New Zealand has 118,000 liable parents. They are the people named as the other parent when a custodial parent applies for the domestic purposes benefit. Mrs Weir said that there were a number of options available to liable parents who wanted to abuse the system. They could find lower paid employment, or

cease work, to ensure low payment into the liable parents fund, or they could move into a de facto relationship with more financial responsibilities to ensure low payments. Another alternative was to extend their finances to the point where payment of a reasonable amount to

the liable parent fund was avoidable, or they could flee to Australia. It seemed grossly unfair that Government policies could be reconstructed to cut the accommodation benefit while “very little is being done to recover the enormous amount owed by the liable parent,” said Mrs Weir.