Benefits fraud probe includes Chch office

Press, 14 April 1989, Page 5

Benefits fraud probe includes Chch office

By

DEBORAH MCPHERSON

The Christchurch district office of the Social Welfare Department has been included in an urgent national internal check of suspected staff fraud and payment control procedures. A spokesman for the Minister of Social Welfare said yesterday that no individual Christchurch officers were being investigated for fraudulent activities. The audit of the 27 district offices had been prompted by allegations

of serious fraud by staff. Dr Cullen released on Monday the names of the offices being audited. The department’s Director-General, Mr John Grant, also declined to say whether any officers were involved, but he said a small number of staff throughout the country were being investigated for suspected fraud at 10 or 11 district offices. A clearer picture of how much fraud the department was facing nationally would be known by the middle of next week, Mr Grant said.

The audit was also intended to review payment control procedures and to make sure procedures for issuing cheques for loan advances were tightened. The other centres included in the audit were: Invercargill, Balclutha, Dunedin, Nelson, Wellington, Lower Hutt, Porirua, Levin, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Rotorua, Murupara, Napier, Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, Paeroa, Hamilton, Papakura, Otara, Manukau, Otahuhu, Panmure, Grey Lynn, Central Auckland, Henderson, and Whangarei.