Tēnā koe Katie Day,

Thank you for your email received 22 April 2024, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond.

Ngā 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 mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake

-----Original Message-----
From: Kate Day <[FOI #26516 email]>
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2024 8:56 PM
To: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[MSD request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - WINZ grants for electricity bills

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

I would like to request the following information about grants, loans and advances WINZ gives/loans out for electricity bills. Please exclude the Winter Energy Payment from this request.

I would like to know:

1. The total sum of grants/loans/advances WINZ gave for electricity bills in the calendar year 2023, by region.
- What was the total paid out in Special Needs Grants for electricity bills in 2023?
- What was the total paid out in Advance Payments of Benefits for electricity bills in 2023?
- Were there any other types of grants/loans/advances given out by WINZ to help clients pay electricity bills in 2023? (Excluding the Winter Energy Payment.)
- What sum of each of the above was recoverable, versus non-recoverable?
- In 2023, besides the Winter Energy Payment, did WINZ give out any non-recoverable grant for electricity costs?

2. How many individual clients did WINZ give grants, loans, or advances for electricity bills in each year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023? Please break this down by region.

3. What is the eligibility criteria for a client to receive from WINZ:
- a Special Needs Grant for electricity costs
- an Advance Payment of Benefit for electricity costs
- any other grant, loan or advance that WINZ offers to help people pay electricity costs (excluding the Winter Energy Payment).

4. Regarding Special Needs Grants for electricity costs:
- What's the maximum sum a client can receive per Special Needs Grant for electricity costs?
- What's the maximum number of Special Needs Grants for electricity costs that a client can receive per year?
- How many individual clients did receive this maximum sum, and/or maximum number of grants, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023?

5. Regarding Advance Payment of Benefits for electricity costs:
- What's the maximum sum a client can receive on each Advance Payment for electricity costs?
- What's the maximum number of Advance Payments for electricity costs that a client can receive per year?
- How many individual clients did receive this maximum sum, and/or maximum number of Advance Payments of Benefits, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023?

6. What was the total debt to WINZ (or MSD) for electricity bills in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023?

7. How many individuals owed debt to WINZ (or MSD) for electricity bills in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023?

Yours faithfully,

Kate Day

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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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Kia ora Kate Day

 

We refer to your below request made to the Ministry of Social Development
(the Ministry) under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

I would like to know:

 

1. The total sum of grants/loans/advances WINZ gave for electricity bills
in the calendar year 2023, by region.

- What was the total paid out in Special Needs Grants for electricity
bills in 2023?

- What was the total paid out in Advance Payments of Benefits for
electricity bills in 2023?

- Were there any other types of grants/loans/advances given out by WINZ to
help clients pay electricity bills in 2023? (Excluding the Winter Energy
Payment.)

- What sum of each of the above was recoverable, versus non-recoverable?

- In 2023, besides the Winter Energy Payment, did WINZ give out any
non-recoverable grant for electricity costs?

 

2. How many individual clients did WINZ give grants, loans, or advances
for electricity bills in each year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023? Please break
this down by region.

 

3. What is the eligibility criteria for a client to receive from WINZ:

- a Special Needs Grant for electricity costs

- an Advance Payment of Benefit for electricity costs

- any other grant, loan or advance that WINZ offers to help people pay
electricity costs (excluding the Winter Energy Payment).

 

4. Regarding Special Needs Grants for electricity costs:

- What's the maximum sum a client can receive per Special Needs Grant for
electricity costs?

- What's the maximum number of Special Needs Grants for electricity costs
that a client can receive per year?

- How many individual clients did receive this maximum sum, and/or maximum
number of grants, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023?

 

5. Regarding Advance Payment of Benefits for electricity costs:

- What's the maximum sum a client can receive on each Advance Payment for
electricity costs?

- What's the maximum number of Advance Payments for electricity costs that
a client can receive per year?

- How many individual clients did receive this maximum sum, and/or maximum
number of Advance Payments of Benefits, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023?

 

6. What was the total debt to WINZ (or MSD) for electricity bills in 2020,
2021, 2022, 2023?

 

7. How many individuals owed debt to WINZ (or MSD) for electricity bills
in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023?

 

The Ministry has decided to grant your request in part, namely information
which relates to the Ministry’s assistance with electricity costs.

 

However, it will take some more time to prepare this information for
release as it is going through the final sign out process. The information
will be sent to you by 22 May 2024. We will respond earlier if we are able
to.

 

The Ministry has decided to refuse your request for information which
relates to Special Needs Grants for electricity costs under section 18(g)
of the Act as the information you had requested is not held by the
Ministry and I have no grounds to believe that the information is either
held by or closely connected to the functions of another department,
Minister of the Crown or organisation. The Ministry has also decided to
refuse your request for information on the total debt owed and the number
of clients that owe debt to the Ministry for assistance with electricity
costs under section 18(f) of the Act as it requires substantial manual
collation.

 

This is a decision under section 15(1)(a) of the Act. Further information
on the background of this decision can be found on pages 18 and 34 of the
following guide of the Ombudsman:
[1]https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[2][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 [3]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.

 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Official 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. https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...
2. mailto:[MSD request email]
3. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

Tçnâ koe Kate Day

 

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

 

Ngâ mihi,

 

Official 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.