"The release of 'Evaluating the February 1999 Domestic Purposes Benefit and Widows Benefit Reforms' has once more given me reason to doubt the authenticity of the information being published by your Ministry, Mr Maharey," says Lindsay Mitchell, Petitioner for a Parliamentary Review of the DPB.

" Firstly, the report claims that in April 2001 there were 105,099 DPB recipients (which was useful in allowing you to claim a headline that DPB numbers are down.) According to the most recently available quarterly profile from WINZ, in June 2001 there were 109,121 people receiving the DPB. In the March 2001 quarterly profile, 109,760 were receiving the DPB. What happened in April? Where did some 4,000 beneficiaries disappear to?"

"Secondly, the report claims that 87 percent of DPB recipients had a youngest child aged under 14. Yet a Social Services Sector report from last year showed that at 30 June 2000, 44,805 or 41 percent of people receiving the DPB had no children or youngest child aged 14 plus. "

"Which set of data would you advise me to believe, Mr Maharey?" asks Mrs Mitchell.

Lindsay Mitchell DPB Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB

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