Moroney Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMoroney Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14546. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.SUE MORONEY (Labour) to theMinister for Social Development: Does she agree with the statement made by her spokeswoman with regard to Work and Income requirements for the disability allowance that “There’s no reason anyone would be repeatedly asked to prove a congenital condition and we have no information about any cases where that has happened”?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development): Yes. People with a congenital disability that their doctor has diagnosed as never needing to be reassessed do not need to provide ongoing medical evidence to keep their benefit going. However if their costs change Work and Income is required by legislation to ensure that the new costs relate to the individual’s condition or disability.Sue Moroney: Did she read the email sent to her on 15 October by Stephen Taylor from Hamilton who has two sons with muscular dystrophy—for which there is no known cure—who have been required to have annual medical reviews of their congenital condition despite the fact that their GP said that they should never be reassessed in order for them to retain the child disability allowance?Hon PAULA BENNETT: We have more than 240000 disability allowances that we do at the moment. If the doctor has said not to reassess then we do not need a reassessment for the actual disability. If that has happened then we will own up to it and we will say that that is a mistake—we will do that. But if the circumstances have changed as we saw in the weekend papers where the young person has gone flatting or something like that they may actually be eligible to have more assistance. So we do a reassessment on that but not on the actual disability or medical condition.Sue Moroney: I seek leave to table a letter from Hamilton Central Community Link to Mr Stephen Taylor informing him that the child disability allowance has been stopped for his child Austin because it has not received—Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table a letter from Stephen Taylor. [Interruption] Is the member just asking whether permission has been given by Mr Taylor?Sue Moroney: Yes.Mr SPEAKER: Permission has been given. Leave is sought to table that particular letter. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Sue Moroney: Did she read the email sent to her by David Wise also of Hamilton whose son Duigan was born with autism and global delay deficiency and was required by the local Work and Income office to be reassessed four times a year even though his GP and specialist agreed that reassessment should take place on an annual basis?Hon PAULA BENNETT: The way that we have set the system up particularly since the welfare reforms is we have simplified the forms. I have actually looked at them again today. We do not ask for people to be reassessed if their doctor has said not to. If there are cases where that is happening—and I have asked the department to look into that to make sure it is not because it is certainly not our intention and it is certainly not our policy—then we will fix it. I have not seen evidence of it in the cases that have been presented to me.Sue Moroney: You’re not reading your emails.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well of the cases that have been presented to me we have looked into them and the facts are different from what has actually been presented by the media. But as I say such reassessments are not the intention of the policy. They should not have to have doctor reassessments every year or four times a year.Sue Moroney: I seek leave to table an email from David Wise to the Minister on 10 November advising her that his son is required to have reassessments four times a year.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular email. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Sue Moroney: Does she accept the account that Auckland woman Colleen Brown gave to theSunday Star-Times that when she applied for a change in living arrangements for her son Travers he was required by Work and Income to have a further medical assessment to prove that he still had Down’s syndrome?Hon PAULA BENNETT: No I do not. Those are not the facts as they are presented in the file.Sue Moroney: Does the Minister accept that this constant reassessment by Work and Income of conditions that cannot be cured creates additional stress for families who already face difficult circumstances creates unnecessary cost and bureaucracy for Work and Income and also puts additional work on GP services that are already stretched?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I think it is incredibly stressful for these people who have these conditions or have children with these conditions. It is certainly not our policy that we reassess if the doctor has said that we do not need to. If we are asking them to fill in forms—which in itself I acknowledge can be stressful—if they have had a change in circumstances—Sue Moroney: No to be reassessed.Hon PAULA BENNETT: I think there could be a difference in language in what is actually being asked. I have asked for—Sue Moroney: You’re asking them to go and get a doctor’s certificate.Hon PAULA BENNETT: You do not know that actually. You do not know—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well the member has asked a question; I am endeavouring to answer it Mr Speaker. So at the end of the day we do not believe that they are being reassessed. If there are cases where they are then we will fix it. It is not our policy it is not the way it should be happening and I do not think it is happening in all the cases that you have presented.Sue Moroney: Why is the Minister denying that this practice takes place when she will by now have received many emails from New Zealanders that tell her of their experiences and show that she is wrong and will she get out on the ground and go and visit Work and Income offices to ensure that this practice of asking these families to constantly re-prove that their family members have these congenital conditions is not taking place?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I note that the member’s sort of run on this is to try to say that I do not visit Work and Income offices whereas in fact I am up and down this country weekly and on the front line talking to those staff. What I am saying is that there could be a difference of interpretation of us asking for information and reassessment. The information that I have had from the department is that we do not require another medical assessment of those on this allowance if a doctor has said that they do not require one. However we do require more information if their circumstances have changed. If there are changes to that then we will front up to them and we will make sure that those changes and those people are treated fairly.