Increase in beneficiaries claiming help for cars

The number of beneficiaries getting assistance for car repayments has increased nearly 10-fold in five years, new figures show.

National Party welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins released figures she obtained from Work and Income showing the number of working age beneficiaries getting taxpayer-funded support for car repayments had increased from 1528 in 2000 to 10,018 in 2005.

The number receiving extra help for running costs had increased from 106 in 2000 to 499 last year after a spike in 2004.

Ms Collins said Work and Income needed to collect data more effectively as it could not say how much the car payments were costing.

- NZPA