Under welfare reforms passed in July, sickness and invalids' benefits were repackaged to become Jobseeker Support and Supported Living Payment.
Beneficiaries on Jobseeker Support can be exempt from work obligations if they have a significant injury or health condition, but must seek at least 15 hours' work each week if their health practitioner determines they are capable. Te Hauora Runanga O Wairarapa manager Tai Gemmell was unable to comment on why the regional figures had dropped.
However deprivation and a lack of employment options in the Wairarapa led people to develop substance addictions that could inhibit their ability to work, he said.
"It's the environment that they're in. It's the family dynamic. It's a really broad question to answer but essentially that's what it comes down to."
Many of Wairarapa's large industries had closed down and only the forestry industry was really still booming, he said.
Synthetic legal cannabis had been a major problem and all three Wairarapa councils were working to restrict where the substance could be sold. It was affecting both the younger and older population, he said.
Beneficiary Advocacy Federation spokeswoman Kay Brereton said substance abuse covered a broad range of problems, from those addicted to painkillers prescribed for a medical condition, to those with an illegal drug habit. Long-term addicts were often using substances to cope with past trauma and could not become work-ready in a set timeframe.
However, "semi-medical" staff at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had begun "second guessing" doctors' assessments and asking them to change their medical opinion in order to get beneficiaries back into work, she said.
Work and Income associate deputy chief executive Liz Jones disputed the claims. "Clients need a medical certificate from a GP if they are unable to work because of a health condition or disability, so we are certainly not discouraging doctors from writing medical certificates."
She said staff regularly contacted doctors to clarify information provided on medical certificates or confirm benefit eligibility or work capacity. APNZ
