Helpline advice costs '$52 a call'

The Government has "hung up" on Plunketline but is continuing to fund another helpline service at a rate of $52 a call, National MP Judith Collins says.

The pilot 211 Community Helpline in the Bay of Plenty started on March 14 last year with $484,590 allocated to it in the 2004-05 financial year.

The Ministry of Social Development has provided a further $538,370 in the 2005-06 financial year for the pilot service.

Mrs Collins said "hardly anyone" was using the helpline and it was largely redundant.

She questioned Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope in Parliament about the service, which she said had 12 employees answering only three calls a day each on average.

The minister replied: "I don't believe providing good assistance and advice to families is wasteful expense."

- NZPA