Written questions

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Are Ministry of Social Development case workers or call centre workers required to ask potential Ministry of Social Development clients whether they have access to a credit card prior to determining their suitability to receive a Jobseeker…

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Are Ministry of Social Development case workers or call centre workers recommended to ask potential Ministry of Social Development clients whether they have access to loans or other credit prior to determining their suitability to receive…

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  On how many occasions, if any, have Ministry of Social Development staff recommended that a person get a credit card or loan in lieu of receiving support from the Ministry?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• 39312 (matches this search)

  Were some people receiving a benefit or an allowance notified before the date their Confirming Your Circumstances review material was due to Work and Income that their benefit would be suspended; if so, why?

• 39313 (matches this search)

  Did any people receiving a benefit or an allowance have their benefit or allowance stopped on the same day that their Confirming Your Circumstances review material was due to Work and Income; if so, why?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• 39314 (matches this search)

  What material, if any, did the Minister recieve when the Ministry for Social Development briefed her on Thursday 13 August about the mistakes stemming from the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 coming into force,…

• 39315 (matches this search)

  Further to 37329 (2026) what material was the Minister provided when the Ministry of Social Development briefed her on the suspension of winter energy payments, listed by title?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many people, if any, receiving a benefit or allowance that was wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force are now in debt to the Ministry of Social Development due to the wrongful…

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Will the role of automated decision-making be included in the review of the wrongly suspended benefits and allowances since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force; if not, why?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Will the Minister publish the full review report into the wrongful suspension of benefits and allowances since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many people, if any, have applied for an Accommodation Costs Arrears Grant due to having their main benefit or an allowance wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many people, if any, have applied for Temporary Additional Support due to having their main benefit or an allowance wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many people, if any, have applied for a special needs grant due to having a main benefit or allowance wrongfully suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many, if any, people receiving the NZ Super as a non-qualified partner had that wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many, if any, people receiving the Accommodation Supplement had that wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many, if any, people receiving the Supported Living Payment had their benefit wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many, if any, people receiving the Emergency Benefit had their benefit wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  How many, if any, people receiving the Disability Allowance had their allowance wrongly suspended since the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025 came into force?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• 39154 (matches this search)

  Further to 37329 (2026), on what date was the first individual case raised through complaints?

• 39155 (matches this search)

  Further to 37329 (2026), on what date was the first individual case raised through staff feedback?

• 39156 (matches this search)

  Further to 37329 (2026), on what date did senior leadership at the Ministry confirm the issue and that it had broader impacts?

• 39159 (matches this search)

  Further to 37329 (2026), on what date was the first individual case raised through client enquiries?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What, if anything, is the number of Ministry of Social Development and Employment's full-time equivalent staff as of 30 June 2023, 31 December 2023, 30 June 2024, 31 December 2024, 30 June 2025, 31 December 2025, and 30 June 2026?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How much, if any, was spent in the 2025/26 financial year in the Minister's departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, on artificial intelligence, including costs on training…

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How much, if any, was spent in the 2024/25 financial year in the Minister's departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, on artificial intelligence, including costs on training…

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How much, if any, did the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, spend on consultancy costs, from 1 July 2024 - 30 June 2025?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How much, if any, was spent in the 2023/24 financial year in the Minister's departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, on artificial intelligence, including costs on training…

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How much, if any, did the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, spend on consultancy costs, from 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How much was the total cost in New Zealand dollar terms, if any, of redundancy processes initiated, if any, in the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, since 27…

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How many redundancy processes have been initiated, if any, in the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, since 27 November 2023?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 24 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 24 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 24 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 24 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Ricardo Menéndez March

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  What criteria, if any, will the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) use when determining whether to provide endorsement under the changes announced to the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  When, if at all, was the last time that support payments to help people move house, if any, were increased, if at all, and if so by how much?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Ministry of Social Development and Employment informed any person receiving superannuation that they would have their superannuation ceased if they did not provide asset information?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Ministry of Social Development and Employment sent a form to people receiving supernnuation that seeks information about their assets; if so, what is the purpose of this process?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Are recipients of the accommodation supplement having their supplement cancelled solely because they are not named on the tenancy agreement; if so, why?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Why did the Minister not adopt the proposed amendment to exclude the winter energy payment during the Committee of the Whole for the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Bill?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• 37329 (matches this search)

  On what date was the issue of winter energy payments being excluded in the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act first raised within the Ministry of Social Development?

• 37330 (matches this search)

  On what date, if any, was the Minister made aware that some winter energy payments had been mistakenly cancelled?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  Will the Minister consider increasing support payment rates, if any, to help people who need to move house and are faced with increased housing costs, and if not, why not?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 17 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 17 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 17 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 17 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Ricardo Menéndez March

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How many Confirming Your Circumstances suspensions have occurred in the past 12 months, broken down by month, reason for suspension, and type of benefit or supplementary assistance?

Asked by

Ricardo Menéndez March

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How many, if any, suspensions occurred as a result of the Confirming Your Circumstances process where a beneficiary provided the information requested in the past 12 months?

Asked by

Ricardo Menéndez March

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  What is the backlog, if any, for superannuation applications as of 19/08/2026, and how does this compare to the backlog in the previous 5 years?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• 37254 (matches this search)

  How many students, if any, have had an accommodation supplement cut as a result of any mandatory reviews that have occurred since the commencement of the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025, or any consequent legislation?

• 37256 (matches this search)

  How many people, if any, have had student allowances cut as a result of any mandatory review under the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025, or any consequent legislation?

Asked by

Francisco Hernandez

List MP · Green Party

• (matches this search)

  How many people, if any, have had an accommodation supplement cut as a result of any mandatory reviews that have occurred since the commencement of the Social Security (Mandatory Reviews) Amendment Act 2025, or any consequent legislation?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 10 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 10 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Willow-Jean Prime

List MP · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 10 August 2026, by title and date?