10 Largest DPB Debts Total $1.5 Million

Parliamentary Questions released by ACT Social Services Spokesman, Heather Roy, reveal that ten people caught defrauding the Domestic Purposes Benefit owe debts totalling $1,556,010.72, with the largest single debt being $200,934.31.

"Over 61,000 people receiving the Domestic Purposes Benefit owed money to the taxpayer at the end of June 2006", Mrs Roy said.

"The ten largest debts - which add to more than $1.5 million - are being repaid at between $19 and $76 a week. The largest debt could take 203 years to repay.

"Yet again, taxpayers will never receive back the money which was wrongly taken from them.

"Three of these cases - totalling at least $393,000 - were not even prosecuted.

"Welfare should be focused on giving people the help they need to become independent of the State. Working Kiwis and those in real need miss out when fraudsters are ripping off the system.

"The Minister for Social Development and Employment, David Benson-Pope needs to own up about the scale of benefit fraud, and get tough on benefit fraud", Mrs Roy said.

ENDS

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