Beneficiaries will face random drug tests, have some payments cut if National re-elected

Checkpoint · Oct 8, 2026 · 6m

Beneficiaries will face random drug tests and have their payments docked if they continue to fail those tests if National is re-elected. It will initially do 10,000 random tests on job seekers and expand from there. Anyone on jobseeker support for two of the previous three years will also get their benefit reduced. To qualify for a benefit people will need to be resident in NZ for five years rather than the current two. Volunteer advocate for Auckland Action Against Poverty, Pip Colgan spoke to Lisa Owen.