Press Release – New Zealand National Party By allowing 70 per cent of benefit fraud investigations to be delayed and a critical fraud detection tool to cease to operate for more than a year, Labour has left our welfare system vulnerable to exploitation, Nationals Social Development and Employment … By allowing 70 per cent of benefit fraud investigations to be delayed and a critical fraud detection tool to cease to operate for more than a year, Labour has left our welfare system vulnerable to exploitation, National’s Social Development and Employment spokesperson Louise Upston says. “Billions of dollars was paid out to support many genuinely in need New Zealanders during the Covid-19 lockdown. It was the right thing to do, but we expected the Government to continue to make sure taxpayer money wasn’t been wasted on those committing benefit fraud.”