THE UNEMPLOYMENT FUND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4405, 16 October 1934, Page 3

THE UNEMPLOYMENT FUND.

INQUIRY SYTSEM TO CONTINUE

The Unemployment Board has no intention of abandoning its custom of employing inquiry officers (o check or obtain information necessary to determine the eligibility of applicants to receive money out of the Unemployment Fund, according- to a statement by the Acting Minister for Employment (Hon. J. A. Young). The experience of the board, said Mr Young, had shown that, machinery was essential for the purpose of preventing persons from obtaining benefits from the fund to which they had no claim. It had been found that, in spite of the declaration signed by every applicant, attempts were made to impose on the fund. Mr Young said a misunderstanding had evidently arisen among the registered unemployed as the lesult of a published report that the practice of using inquiry officers to check the' accuracy of information supplied, on forms U.B. 32 and 32A~ was to cease at once.

Mr. Young added that a case came before his notice, only the other day of an example of the fraudulent practices which were being continually exposed as the result of inquiries. The man in question had declared that his wife and four children were living with him and were dependent on him. Inquiries had disclosed that this was not the case, and that a woman who was not his wife was living with him. Until the fraud was disclosed, the applicant had been receiving relief on the highest scale On the other hand, said the Minister, the system operated to the advantage of the applicants themselves. A case in point was that o. a, man who, in applying for relief, mentioned that lie was not in good health, but did not refer to the health of his family. The inquiry officer had discovered that the man’s wife and child wore in illhealth. The applicant was given assistance beyond what was warranted on the information lie had supplied in the first instance. The board, concluded the Minister, is in the position of trustee with the duty of doing what is fair both tp the unemployed and to the taxpayer. It cannot do justice to either side if it does not inform itself to the fullest extent of the actual circumstances of each applicant for assistance. For this puimose some system of obtaining and verifying the information must be maintained.