Hawke's Bay beneficiaries are being warned to let Work and Income know of any overseas travel plans after hundreds had payments stopped last year for jetting off without telling officials.
Ministry of Social Development figures show 1026 people from the East Coast district had benefits cut during the last financial year for going overseas without telling Work and Income. That was down on the previous year's 1164. Benefits related to jobseeker support were those most often cut.
Hastings Citizens Advice Bureau manager Ani Tylee advised beneficiaries planning travel to tell Work and Income.
She said beneficiaries need to ensure they were getting what they were entitled to and understand how changed circumstance might compromise their entitlements.
Ms Tylee said the organisation didn't get many queries about the travel issue and she thought beneficiaries would go straight to Work and Income with those sorts of questions.
Nationwide, 31,714 New Zealanders had their benefits cut for undisclosed overseas travel last financial year, compared to 35,565 the previous year. Jobseeker support was the most cut.
Ministry of Social Development service delivery deputy chief executive Carl Crafar said welfare reforms came into effect in July 2013 to put stronger obligations on beneficiaries. They included changes to the rules around when people could be paid a benefit while overseas.
All beneficiaries were required to tell Work and Income about travel intentions or their benefits were stopped on departure. The rules were consistent across all benefit groups, said Mr Crafar.
He said the rules still allowed for overseas travel on compassionate or health grounds in certain cases.
To support the changes, the ministry enhanced information matching systems it had with New Zealand Customs. If people hadn't told Work and Income about their intention to travel and an automatic information match was made, their benefit would be suspended and they would receive notification. The suspension would remain in place until they returned and contacted Work and Income, said Mr Crafar.