Privacy Commissioner - Te Mana Matapono Matatapu

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Customs/MSD Arrivals & Departures Programme

• Annual Report
• Technical information
• System description
• Historical activity

Annual Report

Purpose: To identify current clients who leave for or return from overseas while receiving income support payments.

Year commenced: 1992

Features: Data transferred each week by online transfer.

Customs disclosure to MSD: Customs provides arrival and departure information covering the week prior to the extract date. Each travel movement record includes the traveller's full name, date of birth, gender, travel document number, country code and flight details.

2008/09 activity:

New match runs started in the reporting period

Match runs	52
Records received for matching	9,093,528
Possible matches identified	31,092

All match runs active in the reporting period

Matches that required no further action	18,635
Notices of adverse action	10,901
Challenges	80
Successful challenges	70
Overpayments established	5,800
Value of overpayments established	$6,248,204

Commentary: In December 2008, the Privacy Commissioner granted an online transfer approval authorising specialist MSD staff to access Customs passenger movement information via a web-based interface. This allows MSD to verify the results of the programme more efficiently.

The number of successful challenges appears high, however they represent only a small proportion of the total programme activity.

Compliance: Compliant.

Technical information

Information matching provision	Customs and Excise Act 1996, s.280
Year authorised	1991
Programme type	Confirming eligibility Locating people
On-line transfers	Yes

System description

Each week, Customs create an extract of passenger arrival and departure information from the CusMod database and place it on a website within the secure Customs network. Each travel movement record includes the traveller's full name, date of birth, gender, travel document number, Citizenship code, and details of their flight.

MSD run an automated job that logs into the Customs website to retrieve the file. Only specific MSD IP addresses are allowed to access the website. After validating that the file is complete, MSD retrieve the file via a secure HTTPS connection.

The information is compared by name, date of birth, and gender with MSD's beneficiary and student databases. Each positive match receives a match level rating ranging from match level one where the surname, fist name, second name, and date of birth all agree, to match level 13 where there is a less exact match.

For matched individuals, MSD checks its records to determine whether there has been any explanation given for the overseas travel.

Since March 2009, MSD started using the authority granted under section 103(1A) of the Privacy Act to immediately suspend a Sickness, Unemployment, Emergency, or Independent Youth Benefit. The practice of immediately suspending benefits started at the same time as a new online query system which enables authorised MSD staff direct access to Customs arrival and departure information. For all other benefit types, MSD send a s.103 notice and wait the required five working days before suspending a benefit.

Historical activity

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

New match runs started in the reporting period

Runs	52	52	53	52
Records received from Customs	8,679,692	8,797,541	9,147,379	9,319,742
Positive matches	30,119	30,290	25,140	25,807

All match runs active in the reporting period

Legitimate records (no action needed)	18,605	19,689	15,561	16,280
Notices of adverse action	11,455	10,663	9,182	9,149
Overpayments established (number)	5,894	7,559	4,818	6,782
Overpayments established[1]	$3,571,339	$4,900,661	$3,776,460	$6,612,148
Challenges	107	87	110	121
Challenges successful	62	60	74	100

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[1] Overpayments are the number of cases where an individual received a payment when not entitled. The total debt established includes overpayments and any penalties assessed.