Beneficiary drug testing plans unveiled

Experts will carry out "robust clinical assessments" to determine whether beneficiaries are recreational drug users or are drug addicts, under Government plans to screen job seekers.

The Government today released details of its plans to drug test beneficiaries ahead of legislation being introduced to Parliament next month. The changes would come into effect next July.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said about 40 per cent of the jobs listed at Work and Income required drug testing. "It's reasonable for employers to expect people to be drug free."

Bennett said beneficiaries would face sanctions if they refused to apply for drug-tested jobs. Under the current system an unemployment beneficiary can decline without penalty to apply for an available drug-tested job because they won't pass the test.

"Recreational drug use is simply not an acceptable excuse for avoiding available work. Thousands of working New Zealanders are in jobs requiring they be clean of drugs; it's reasonable to expect someone looking for work to do the same."

Drug testing only applied to those with a work expectation attached to their benefit and only for jobs requiring drug tests.

Those who failed tests would be given a warning and reasonable period of time to stop using drugs before having to take another drug test, Bennett said.

However, if beneficiaries refused to apply for a drug tested job, they had to agree to stop using drugs or their benefit would be cut by 50 per cent. They would be given 30 days to allow any drugs they had taken to leave their system.

If they failed a test or refused a second time, they would have their benefit suspended until they agreed to provide a 'clean' drug test within 30 days. If they did not do this their benefit would be cancelled.

Bennett said people with addiction would get help with their dependency and those on some prescribed medications would be exempt.

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Beneficiary drug testing plans unveiled