4 Jul 2018
Advocates want urgent action on MSD debt recovery
Lawyers and beneficiary advocates want an urgent review into the Ministry for Social Development's debt recovery programme. Yesterday the High Court ruled against the Ministry, which had been attempting to recover more than $100,000 from a woman it claimed was overpaid because she took out a bank loan and used a credit card while on a benefit. The court said the debt did not add to the woman's resources and could not be considered as income. As RNZ's Nita Blake-Persen reports, the landmark ruling could have major implications for other cases before the courts.