Editorial: Scrutiny of dole payments justified

Beneficiary advocates may call it "benefit bashing" but the Ministry of Social Development is within its rights to look into cases where multiple benefits are going to the same homes.
Taxpayers have every right to know that the money they put towards helping those in need is being used for the right purpose. They have every right to know that the money is being used as it should and that people are not taking advantage of the system.
As Social Welfare Minister Paula Bennett told this newspaper, it's about accountability to taxpayers and ensuring fairness.
We like to know that the money our MPs receive is being spent as it should. Taxpayers come under scrutiny if something untoward shows up in their tax payments. Why should anyone receiving taxpayer funds be exempt from scrutiny?
Those with nothing to hide will have nothing to fear from the investigation.
Two Rotorua households are among those being investigated. Benefits totalling $1749 are going to one every week and $1590 to the other. The people living there may be doing nothing wrong. If that's the case, all good.
If there is something untoward going on, then it is only right that this be rectified.
The Ministry of Social Development says it will be conducting its checks alongside Child, Youth and Family to ensure that the children living in the homes being investigated are safe and well because some of the worse cases of child abuse have involved children living in crowded homes. Surely uncovering any such abuse would be a good thing.
Rotorua beneficiaries advocate Paul Blair says the investigation is reactionary nonsense and people are cramming into homes to save money and survive. If that's so, they have nothing to worry about.