CHECK ON UNEMPLOYED

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1934, Page 9

CHECK ON UNEMPLOYED

APPLICANTS’ ELIGIBILITY SERVICES OF INQUIRY OFFICERS. CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM OPPOSED. UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD DECIDES. (By Wire— Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The Unemployment Board has decided definitely it will not abandon the custom of utilising inquiry officers for the purpose of obtaining or checking information necessary to determine the eligibility of applicants to receive money out of the unemployment fund. An announcement to this effect was made to-night by the acting-Minister of Employment, the Hon. J. A. Young. The Minister said a misunderstanding had arisen amongst registered unemployed as a result of a published report that the practice of using inquiry officers was to cease at once. His statement that tne board would not stand for a worker being refused any further relief because his wife would not give information to an inquiry officer referred only to a particular case which did exist. There inquiries had revealed that a good reason existed. In that case the experience of the board had shown it was necessary to have this machinery for preventing persons obtaining benefits from the fund to which they had no claim. . It had been found that in spite of the declaration which was signed by every applicant, attempts were made to impose on the fund. The Minister pointed to a case which had just occurred, in which a man had declared that his wife and four children were living with him, whereas they were not and he had not contributed to their support for years. Until the fraud was disclosed he had been receiving relief on the highest scale, whereas he was eligible only for the amount granted to a single man. “On the other hand,” continued Mr. Young, “the system operated to the advantage of the applicants themselves. There was a case in which a man who had applied for relief notified that he was not in good health, but did not refer to the health of his family. When an inquiry officer called at his home it was discovered that both his wife and child were in need of medical treatment. As a result he was given assistance beyond that which he was entitled to on his application. “The board is in the position of a trustee, with the duty of doing what is fair both to the unemployed and to the taxpayer,” continued the Minister. “It cannot do justice to either side if it does not inform itself fully of the circumstances of each applicant for assistance. For this purpose some system of obtaining and verifying information must be maintained.”