Probe into Kahui benefits put back

The Ministry of Social Development has backed away from interviewing members of the Kahui family about their benefit payments until police finish investigating the deaths of 3-month-old twins Chris and Cru Kahui.

An investigation into the legitimacy of benefit payments made to the twins' extended family was started at the request of Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope, following the deaths.

There has been speculation that the amount of money being paid into one of the extended family's houses by the state could be around $1400 a week.

But the ministry has pulled back from plans to talk to members of the Kahui and King families about their benefits following a meeting with police. The meeting on Tuesday - between two ministry staff and one police investigator - resulted in an agreement that the ministry will not interview family members until the police investigation is finished.

Asked yesterday if the police had requested that the ministry pull back, the agencies said it was a joint agreement and neither party wanted to compromise the other's inquiries.

Detective Senior Sergeant John Tims, who is leading the police's homicide inquiry, said last night he was "comfortable" with the arrangement.

The Mangere house the twins lived in was home to several benefit recipients, and members of the King and Kahui families shared their time between two houses.

The Weekend Herald can reveal that benefit sanctions have been used previously against at least one member of the extended Kahui household.

Sanctions can include the suspension or cancellation of a benefit and are used when a person fails to comply with obligations attached to payments.

"I have been advised that sanctions have been used - though I haven't got any detail yet - because people did not meet their obligations," said Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope.

In the case of an unemployment benefit, obligations include an expectation that the recipient will actively seek work.

The Kahui twins were taken to hospital on June 13 suffering multiple injuries and severe brain damage. They died five days later, after being removed from life support.

Their injuries have been described by a paediatrician as typical of shaken baby syndrome.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tims said the police investigation was making "really good progress".

"I know everyone wants a result, but we just need to be patient - and we're being thorough," he said.

Work by Government agencies to identify households with multiple beneficiaries living under the same roof will continue. A spokeswoman for Mr Benson-Pope said last night that the Social Development ministry's policy is to recoup all overpayments.

The ministry will resume its Kahui and King investigation at the "appropriate time", and if anyone is found to have committed benefit fraud "they will be held accountable", Mr Benson-Pope said.

- additional reporting by John Armstrong