Benefit sanctions higher than average in Bay of Plenty

A high number of local beneficiaries are facing benefit cuts for not meeting obligations to WINZ. Photo/File

The number of beneficiaries sanctioned in the region is high - though Rotorua budget advisers say they see very few cases.

In the Bay of Plenty, sanctions have been imposed on about 9 per cent of beneficiaries every quarter for the last few years.

Sanctions could be imposed for failing to fulfil any obligations to Work and Income, but were most often for missed appointments or failure to prepare or participate in work.

Benefit fraud has come under scrutiny recently after Green co-leader Metiria Turei admitting lying to WINZ about her housing situation while receiving a benefit in the 1990s.

Beneficiaries who were dishonest or failed to disclose information could also be subject to sanctions, resulting in benefit cuts, suspensions or cancellations.

Rotorua Budget Advisory manager Pakanui Tuhura said the organisation's budget advisers had seen hardly any Work and Income clients who had received sanctions.

"We have had very few - one to two - of our Work and Income clients over the past year who have had sanctions imposed."

However, Ministry of Social Development spokesman Mike Bryant said there had been a general increase in sanctions recently.

"In the last quarter, there has been a slight increase in the number of benefit sanctions imposed across the country.

"Part of this increase is because our staff are spending more time having work-focused conversations with people.

"There are a number of situations where a client may have a good and sufficient reason why they are unable to meet their obligations.

"In these circumstances a sanction would not be applied."

Sanctions have risen by just over 8 per cent nationally in the last year, to nearly 16,000 in the last quarter.

The number of people across New Zealand receiving benefits has fallen by nearly 4000 in that time.

The number of sanctions imposed in the Bay of Plenty region has remained stable - between 1700 and 2100 each quarter.

Beneficiary advocate Jeremy Roundill said he thought WINZ set targets for its staff to impose sanctions and cancel benefits.

"I have been told both that it is a national target, that it's set at a regional level and that it's set at a service-centre level.

"MSD isn't forthcoming with information, so it's difficult to know for sure, but I'd suspect that there's a nationwide number set at the ministry level, and the regional offices are the ones who set the KPIs for case managers in each office."

But Mr Bryant said there were no targets for the number of sanctions imposed.

"Sanctions are just one way we work with clients to engage with us, they are not designed to be punitive and there are no targets for applying sanctions."