MINISTRY OF SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
TE MANATU WHAKAHIATO ORA
Gregory Soar
fyi-reguest-15517-bed4b 140@reguests. fyi .org .nz
2 6 MAY 2021
Tena koe Gregory Soar
On 20 May 2021, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following
information:
•
How much in total all payments of Temporary Additional Assistance and
Special Benefit amounted to in the last financial year figures are available for
please. Which year the figure applies to also.
The Ministry provides financial assistance to assist people whose regular essential
living costs cannot be met from their chargeable income and other resources. Prior
to 1 April 2006, this assistance was in the form of Special Benefit (SPB). From 1
April 2006, SPB was replaced with Temporary Additional Support (TAS).
TAS is a non-taxable supplementary payment that can be paid for a maximum of 13
weeks. It is paid as a last resort to help clients with their regular essential living
costs that cannot be met from their chargeable income and other resources. Further
information about TAS is available on the Work and Income website here:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/temporary-additional
support.html.
Your request for this information is refused under section 18(d) of the Act on the
basis that the information requested is publicly available. This information can be
found under Benefit Fact Sheets releases on the Ministry's website at the following
link:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications
resou rces/statistics/benefit/i ndex. html.
Please scroll down to the Excel tables heading and click on 'national level data tables
- March 2021'. In the excel spreadsheet select 'Recipients of selected Supplementary
Assistance, by recipient characteristics, last 5 years'.
The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which you
made your request are:
• to create greater openness and transparency about the plans, work and
activities of the Government,
• to increase the ability of the public to participate in the making and
administration of our laws and policies and
• to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
OIA [email address].
Page 1 of 2
The Aurora Centre/ 56-66 The Terrace/ Wellington 6011
PO Box 1556 / Wellington 6140 / New Zealand
Phone: 64 4 916 3300 /
Fax: 64 4 918 0099 /
www.msd.govt.nz
