Tçnâ koe Liz,

Thank you for your email received 29th April 2021, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond. You can expect a decision as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request was received.

The information you have requested will likely contain Ministry employee names and contact details. We need to consult relevant Ministry employees before deciding whether we can release this information to you, and this will take additional time and effort.

If you do not need the names of Ministry employees who are below tier 4 and/or who are not decision-makers, please advise us as soon as possible and we will treat your request as amended accordingly. 

In any event, the Ministry will make and communicate to you a decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable, and within the statutory maximum time limits – including the extension of time limits (Section 15A of the Act). 

Nâ mâtou noa, nâ

Official and Parliamentary Information team   |  Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mâtou he whakamana tangata kia tû haumaru, kia tû kaha, kia tû motuhake

-----Original Message-----
From: Liz <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 29 April 2021 1:48 AM
To: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[MSD request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Number of complaints received and the complaints and review processes

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

Under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), I'd like to request the following information:

1. Data on the number of complaints and or requests for review received by complaint type, year, month, region, ethnicity (NZ European, Maori, Asian, Pacifica, Other), gender, age, partnership status for the last 3 years.

2. A copy of the review and complaints policies, processes, working documentation or guidelines.

Yours faithfully,
Liz

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[email address]

Is [MSD request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry of Social Development? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------
This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

-------------------------------

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Tçnâ koe Liz,

Thank you for your email received 29th April 2021, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond. You can expect a decision as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request was received.

The information you have requested will likely contain Ministry employee names and contact details. We need to consult relevant Ministry employees before deciding whether we can release this information to you, and this will take additional time and effort.

If you do not need the names of Ministry employees who are below tier 4 and/or who are not decision-makers, please advise us as soon as possible and we will treat your request as amended accordingly.

In any event, the Ministry will make and communicate to you a decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable, and within the statutory maximum time limits – including the extension of time limits (Section 15A of the Act).

Nâ mâtou noa, nâ

Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive Services Ministry of Social Development

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent Ko ta mâtou he whakamana tangata kia tû haumaru, kia tû kaha, kia tû motuhake-----Original Message-----
From: Liz <[FOI #15291 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 29 April 2021 1:38 AM
To: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[MSD request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Delays

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

Under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) I would like to request the policies, processes, decision/Information papers and/or guidance documents:

Where it states it is acceptable for MSD staff to:

- refer sick female with no transport or money who is seeking emergency accommodation to a homeless shelter (not funded by MSD).
- Tell people who call for emergency food grants to contact a food bank rather than providing emergency food support.

- Information regarding why MSD no longer respond to request for book face-to-face appointments, via your website, mymsd, email or by phone. I note that the call centre person stated it was COVID related, we are not in lockdown so why are appointments still not occuring.

three times in the last month I rang the call centre and I was waiting for over 45mins at time over an hour for a representative.
Please provide data on the number of calls which waited over 45-59 minutes, greater than 1 hour by month for the last 3 years. If available please provide this by region, ethnicity, age.

- Information on your call back process i.e the whereby staff will only call three times and if there is no response they will no longer progress your application. Information as to why staff won't pre-book teleconferencing times or notify the client in advance that a call will be between certain hours. I note a missed call can include a staff member calling for just one ring and hanging up,

- Data on how many active applications you have requesting support or a benefit that have exceeded a 8 week waiting time or longer. Please include date application received, type of benefit/support they are seeking(benefit type), region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ European, Other), age, gender, partnership status)

- Data on the number of applications that took longer than 8 weeks to process for the last 3 years. (year, type of benefit/support they sought, region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ European, Other), age, gender, partnership status)

Yours faithfully,
Liz

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #15291 email]

Is [MSD request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry of Social Development? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------
This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

-------------------------------

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Dear Liz

 

Please find attached a letter advising of the need to extend the time
available to make a decision on your OIA request received 29 April 2021
until 11 June 2021.

 

Sincerely yours

 

Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive
Services

Ministry of Social Development

Our purpose:
We help New Zealanders to be safe, strong and independent.
Manaaki Tangata, Manaaki Whānau.

 

------------------------------- This email and any attachments may contain
information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you
are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or
duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have
received this email in error please notify the author immediately and
erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social
Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or
attachments after transmission from the Ministry.
-------------------------------

Dear Liz,

 

On 29 April 2021, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the
Ministry) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982, the
following information:

 

o Where it states it is acceptable for MSD staff to refer sick female
with no transport or money who is seeking emergency accommodation to a
homeless shelter (not funded by MSD).
o Tell people who call for emergency food grants to contact a food bank
rather than providing emergency food support.
o Information regarding why MSD no longer respond to request for book
face-to-face appointments, via your website, mymsd, email or by phone.
I note that the call centre person stated it was COVID related, we are
not in lockdown so why are appointments still not occuring.
o three times in the last month I rang the call centre and I was waiting
for over 45mins at time over an hour for a representative.
o Please provide data on the number of calls which waited over 45-59
minutes, greater than 1 hour by month for the last 3 years. If
available please provide this by region, ethnicity, age.
o Information on your call back process i.e the whereby staff will only
call three times and if there is no response they will no longer
progress your application. Information as to why staff won't pre-book
teleconferencing times or notify the client in advance that a call
will be between certain hours. I note a missed call can include a
staff member calling for just one ring and hanging up.
o Data on how many active applications you have requesting support or a
benefit that have exceeded a 8 week waiting time or longer. Please
include date application received, type of benefit/support they are
seeking(benefit type), region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ
European, Other), age, gender, partnership status).
o Data on the number of applications that took longer than 8 weeks to
process for the last 3 years. (year, type of benefit/support they
sought, region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ European,
Other), age, gender, partnership status).

On 25 May 2021 the Ministry wrote to you to advise we required more time
to respond to your request. You were advised you would receive a response
no later than 11 June 2021.

 

The Ministry has decided to grant your request in part. However, it will
take some more time to prepare the information for release. You will be
provided with written responses to your questions. Some information is
refused under section 18(e) of the Act as it does not exist, and some
informtion is refused under section 18(f) as it will require substantial
manual collation. The information will be sent to you by 25 June 2021

 

Please accept my apologies for the delay in respondng to your request.  

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[1][MSD request email].

 

If you are not satisfied with this decision, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive
Services

Ministry of Social Development

 

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to be safe, strong and independent.
Manaaki Tangata, Manaaki Whānau.

 

 

 

From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Sent: Tuesday, 25 May 2021 3:34 pm
To: '[FOI #15291 email]'
<[FOI #15291 email]>
Subject: Ministry of Social Development | Your Official Information Act
Request dated 29 April 2021

 

Dear Liz

 

Please find attached a letter advising of the need to extend the time
available to make a decision on your OIA request received 29 April 2021
until 11 June 2021.

 

Sincerely yours

 

Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive
Services

Ministry of Social Development

Our purpose:
We help New Zealanders to be safe, strong and independent.
Manaaki Tangata, Manaaki Whānau.

 

------------------------------- This email and any attachments may contain
information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you
are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or
duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have
received this email in error please notify the author immediately and
erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social
Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or
attachments after transmission from the Ministry.
-------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[MSD request email]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

Tçnâ koe Liz,

 

Please find attached the Ministry’s response to your Official Information
Act request.

 

 

Nâ mâtou noa, nâ

 

Official and Parliamentary Information Team | Ministerial and Executive
Services

Ministry of Social Development

 

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to be safe, strong and independent.
Manaaki Tangata, Manaaki Whânau.

 

 

------------------------------- This email and any attachments may contain
information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you
are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or
duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have
received this email in error please notify the author immediately and
erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Social
Development accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or
attachments after transmission from the Ministry.
-------------------------------