Jobless interviews may uncover fraud

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 23

Jobless interviews may uncover fraud

PA Wellington Government plans to call the long-term unemployed to formal interviews in October to explain their circumstances are likely to result in many claiming to have suddenly found jobs, according to Australian experience. In a similar pilot programme in Australia, 25 per cent of Australians on the dole for 12 months or longer suddenly claimed they had found work within the last fortnight when required to attend the interviews. Of the first 10,000 beneficiaries called to interviews under the Hawke Government’s Newstart programme, 2500 replied that they had suddenly

found work within the last fortnight, avoiding the interviews.

The results, not yet officially issued, have caused a political storm in Australia with Opposition calls for an immediate investigation into the eligibility .of Australia’s 120,000 long-term unemployed beneficiaries. The Department of Social Welfare and the New Zealand Employment Service confirmed this week they had looked at the Australian Newstart programme, but said there were substantial differences between the two programmes.

Under the New Zealand scheme unemployed beneficiaries' on the dole for nine months or longer

will be required to attend formal interviews to establish what efforts they have made to find work. The changes also mean the unemployed will no longer have to regularly report to the Department of Labour, just the Department of Social Welfare.

Under the new set-up the New Zealand Employment Service will redirect resources into providing more intensive and personal assistance to the long-term unemployed.

Part of that service will include formal interviews. - Long-term unemployed people will automatically lose their benefit entitlements if they refuse to attend.