A crackdown on benefit fraud, and cancelling benefits for drug users and wanted persons, have been unveiled as part of National's sweeping welfare reform proposals.
National says its welfare obligations policy, released on Tuesday, will save the taxpayer more than $200 million over four years.
A new team of fraud specialists and investigators will tackle welfare fraud and help recover assets, at a cost of $600,000 a year.
The party's also promising more information-sharing between departments to catch beneficiaries who are working or using false identities, and a review of the Social Security Act to ensure people in relationships aren't claiming benefits they're not entitled to.
People who don't apply for a job because a potential employer asks them to take a drug test, or who fail a pre-employment drug test, will have their benefit cancelled - as will anyone with a warrant out for their arrest.
The latest policy announcement is part of National's pledge to get up to 46,000 people off welfare and into full-time work within four years.
It includes replacing the unemployment and sickness benefits with a new Jobseeker Support benefit, which will also cover sole parents whose children are aged over 14.
Recipients will have to be available for work, unless they get a temporary exemption.
A new Sole Parent Support benefit will replace the Domestic Purposes Benefit, and recipients will be expected to be available for part-time work when their youngest child is school-age, and for full-time work when their youngest child turns 14.
National anticipates the welfare shake-up will save $1 billion over four years.
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