Tçnâ koe Hazel Frangipani,

Thank you for your email received 25 May 2023, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond.

Ngâ manaakitanga,

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

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From: Hazel Frangipani <[FOI #22908 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 25 May 2023 1:19 pm
To: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[MSD request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Disability Allowance costs - rental equipment

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

Request for Official Information

1. Please provide a statement or any other information to confirm, clarify or otherwise contradict the accuracy of what is stated on the below website under the heading “Rental equipment”.
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/in...

---quote begins---
Rental equipment
Disability Allowance can be paid for necessary rental equipment when the client:
• has a need for the item or service but cannot receive funding through the District Health Board or another state funded agency and
• their life or health would be put at risk, or their disability aggravated if they could not hire the equipment because the expense was not included in their Disability Allowance
---quote ends---

2. Please provide a statement or any other information to confirm, clarify or otherwise contradict the accuracy of what is stated on the below website under the heading “Assistance available from Work and Income”, in particular regarding “Ongoing hireage of a breast pump”.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/life...

---quote begins---
Ongoing hireage of a breast pump
If the mother or child has an ongoing disability and requires a breast pump in order to provide breast milk for the child the cost of the ongoing hire of a breast pump may be included in the calculation for:
• Disability Allowance
• Temporary Additional Support, if the applicant is already receiving Disability Allowance and if the applicants ongoing disability costs exceed the maximum rate of Disability Allowance.
---quote ends---

If the information referred to above (1 and 2) is ostensibly correct:

3. Please confirm if any Work and Income client has ever had the ongoing hireage of a breast pump included in the calculation for their Disability Allowance, where their personal circumstances fulfilled the necessary criteria.

4. Please provide data (for the most recent period available) across 10 years showing the total number of clients who have had “ongoing hireage of a breast pump” included in the calculation for their Disability Allowance; or failing that, had “rental equipment” included in the calculation for their Disability Allowance.

Finally…

5. Please provide any other relevant information, policies, advice, and internal guidelines and communications, regarding accepting or declining “ongoing hireage of a breast pump” as an allowable cost for Disability Allowance, particularly any considerations by internal specialist Health and Disability Advisors.

Yours faithfully,

Hazel Frangipani

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

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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

 

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.
-------------------------------

 

Tēnā koe Hazel Frangipani

 

Please find a reply on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Ministry of
Social Development attached.

 

Nā mātou noa, nā

[1][email address]

Ministerial and Executive Services

Ministry of Social Development

 

 

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