UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22392, 13 October 1934, Page 9

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD

INQUIRY OFFICERS HO CHANGE IN SYSTEM (From Oub Pabuamelmtarx Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 12 The Unemployment Board Ims no intention of abandoning the custom of employing inquiry officers to check or obtain the information necessary to determine the eligibility of applicants to receive money out of the Unemployment Fund, according to a statement made .to-night by the Acting Minister of Employment (Mr J. A. Young). The experience of the board, said Mr Young, had shown that the machinery was essential for the purpose of preventing persons from obtaining benefits from the fund to which they had no claim. Tt had' been found that, in spite of the declaration signed by every applicant, attempts were made to impose on the fund. Mr Young said that a mlsunderstanding had evidently arisen among the registered unemployed as the result of a published report to the effect that the practice of using inquiry officers to check the accuracy of informations supplied on forms U. 8.32 and 32a was to cease at once. , In the House of Representatives an Auckland member had alleged that a relief worker had been refused further relief because his wife declined to furnish certain information sought by an officer of the board. Mr Young had replied that the officers involved could not bo condemned unless their side of the story was heard, but that the board would not stand for the relief worker in question being refused relief, unless a good reason existed. > This reply, said the Minister to-night, retcrrcd only to the particular case which had been quoted, and inquiries which he had made indicated that a good reason <Md exist there. Mr Young added that a case had come before his notice only that day as an example of the fraudulent practices which were being continually exposed as the result of inquiries. A man 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 Ministor, the operated to the. advantage of the applicants themselves. A case in point was that of a man who, in applying for relief, mentioned that he was not in good health, but did not refer, to the health of his family. An inquiry officer had called at hie home and had dibcovcred that the man's wife and child were in ill-health. The applicant was given assistance beyond- what was warranted on: the information he had supplied in the first instance.

"The'board,"'concluded the Minister, "is in the position of a trustee with tho duty of doing what is fair both to the unemployed and to the taxpayer. It cannot do justice to cither eidc if it does not inform itself to the fullest extent of the actual circumstances of each applicant for assistance. For this purpose some system of obtaining and verifying information must be obtained."