16 August 2022
Angela
[FYI request #20131 email]
Tēnā koe Angela
On 4 August 2022
, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the
Ministry) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the
following information:
I am looking for information on the numbers of individual New Zealand
Citizens and or sovereign tangata whenua currently accessing their
cestui que trust c.f Maori Real Estate Management Act via MSD since
the set up of NZ Insurance Company Trust came to NZ in 1908?
Can MSD please advise the length of time an internal review of
decision is required to take by law and the procedure for follow up with
the client when the review has been completed?
Can MSD please advise of the numbers of individuals currently
receiving payments of $1400 weekly or more because they are tangata
whenua or kaumatua?
Can MSD please provide the Royal Assent and Letters Patent for the
2018 Social Security Act?
Can MSD please advise if any clients receive benefits by way cheque or
cash due to the holding of no bank account?
For the sake of clarity, your requests will be addressed in turn below:
I am looking for information on the numbers of individual New Zealand
Citizens and or sovereign tangata whenua currently accessing their
cestui que trust c.f Maori Real Estate Management Act via MSD since
the set up of NZ Insurance Company Trust came to NZ in 1908?
Can MSD please advise of the numbers of individuals currently
receiving payments of $1400 weekly or more because they are tangata
whenua or kaumatua?
Your request for this information is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as
this information does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it,
cannot be found.
In order to be eligible for assistance from the Ministry, there are a variety of
conditions which a client must meet. These conditions vary depending on the
type of assistance sought and can be found at the following link:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/.
None of the qualifications are based off being tangata whenua or kaumatua.
Can MSD please advise the length of time an internal review of
decision is required to take by law and the procedure for follow up with
the client when the review has been completed?
The Internal Review is an administrative process and check to ensure that
the correct decision has been made If the decision is upheld or partially
upheld, then the review application moves on to the next stages of the
review of decision process. If the decision is overturned, then generally, the
review of decision is considered to be resolved.
Please note that the Internal Review is not a legal requirement. The Ministry
however follows national standards of timeliness measures. This consists of
standards which ensure that an acknowledgement letter is sent within 24
hours of receipt of the Review of Decision, and that the Internal Review is
completed within 5 working days.
Further information about Reviews of Decisions can be found at the following
link:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/contact-us/review-of-
decision/review-of-decision-flow-chart-long-description.html.
Can MSD please provide the Royal Assent and Letters Patent for the
2018 Social Security Act?
Please see the Social Security Act 2018, available at the following link:
www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2018/0032/latest/whole.html
Can MSD please advise if any clients receive benefits by way cheque or
cash due to the holding of no bank account?
Unless there are special circumstances, it is a condition of every benefit that
a client provides or opens a bank account or membership to a credit union to
receive their benefit payment. Bank account evidence ensures that the
Ministry is paying the correct person into their own or their agent’s bank
account. It also reduces the risk of errors and fraud.
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An appropriate bank is:
• a private savings bank, a trustee savings bank or The Co-operative
Bank;
• a registered bank which on the 31st March 1987 was a trading
bank; or
• any other registered bank or a building society approved by the
Minister after consultation with the Minister of Finance.
The Social Security Act 2018 states that a beneficiary must hold and give the
Ministry details of a bank account. Please see section 111 (link provided
below) of the Social Security Act 2018:
www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2018/0032/latest/DLM6783332.html
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email].
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make
a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
Bridget Saunders
Manager
Issue Resolution, Service Delivery
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Document Outline
