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Did the Minister seek advice or briefing on the possible impact of being hungry, into debt, or homeless of sick, injured, or disabled New Zealanders who lost their main source of income due to cancellations or suspensions of their supplementary assistance due to MSD processing delays, and if so, when did she first seek said advice or briefing?

Answered Question 40979 (2026)
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Asked by

Ricardo Menéndez March

List MP · Green Party

Question

  • Did the Minister seek advice or briefing on the possible impact of being hungry, into debt, or homeless of sick, injured, or disabled New Zealanders who lost their main source of income due to cancellations or suspensions of their supplementary assistance due to MSD processing delays, and if so, when did she first seek said advice or briefing?

Answered by

Hon Louise Upston

Member for Taupō · National Party · Minister for Social Development and Employment

Answer

No. I expected the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) to undertake a review to understand how the Winter Energy Payment issue occurred, why it was not detected and addressed earlier, and how many people were affected. I also expected the review to consider related processing delays associated with the Confirming Your Circumstances review process. The Ministry acted promptly to identify affected clients, restore impacted entitlements, and pay arrears where required.