Work and Income Counselling costs and fraud
K Eagan made this Official Information request to Ministry of Social Development
The request was successful.
From: K Eagan
Dear Ministry of Social Development,
The following information is requested:
1. For each of the years 2004 - 2013 inclusive how much did the ministry spend on Disability Allowance/Counselling? Please exclude other disability related costs including transport to see a counsellor.
2. In New Zealand anybody can legally call themselves a counsellor and accept clients for therapy.
What safeguards (if any) does the ministry have in place to ensure that clients are not being exploited financially and in other ways by counsellors who are not members of the approved associations but have falsely represented themselves to be in order to have sessions funded or subsidised through Work and Income?
3. Have any of the counsellors who have made false declarations on a Disability Allowance/Counselling form in order to obtain funding been prosecuted by the ministry?
4. Does the ministry have any information regarding the forward liability of clients exploited in treatment by counsellors?
Yours faithfully,
K Eagan
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Dear Keri Eagan,
Thank you for your emails received 29 July 2014, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your requests have been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National office to respond. You may expect a response to be sent to you as soon as possible.
Regards
Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development
Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake
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From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Dear Keri Eagan,
Please find atttached a letter advising of the need to extend the time available to respond to your requests until 22 September 2014.
Regards
Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development
Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake
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From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Dear Keri Eagan,
Please find attached the Ministry's response to your Official Information Act requests of 29 July 2014.
Regards
Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development
Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake
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K Eagan left an annotation ()
If anyone knows where I can find the answers to the questions below please note it here in the annotation (avoid names if possible).
Making a false statement on the Work and Income form is at the very least financial exploitation, a human rights abuse. What actions if any have the ministry put in place to avoid enabling such abuse?
1. Is the ministry concerned about the forward liability that may develop due to misuse of this subsidy?
2. Is it really possible that lay persons can simply lie on a form to Work and Income posing as a legitimate therapist without any consequence apart from personal financial gain? There appears to be a lack of oversight in this area and no auditing of the subsidy whatsoever.
3. What mechanisms are in place for reporting of financial exploitation of patients through Work and Income?
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