Is this the tip of the iceberg?

Derek Cheng reports at NZ Herald:

The Government is looking at new ways to monitor beneficiaries who may be conning the system after a simple test found 11 per cent of those on an unemployment benefit last September are now no longer eligible.

Prime Minister John Key announced yesterday that a new requirement for unemployment beneficiaries, implemented in September, had already seen 7400 people go off the dole, saving the taxpayer $6 million to the end of March. A further $3.5 million in savings is expected by October.

The change requires unemployment beneficiaries to reapply for the benefit every 12 months to ensure they are still eligible.

“There are 7400 people who are not on a benefit who otherwise would have been, had it not been for this test,” Mr Key said.

You have to wonder that if a simple reapply requirement sees the numbers reduce by 11%, what would happen if you had work for the dole, work testing for other benefits etc?

Another test, requiring solo parents on the domestic purposes benefit with children over 6 years old to look for part-time work, had seen the number of people off the DPB and into work increase by 20 per cent, said Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

All changes bitterly opposed by Labour and the Greens, IIRC.