Dear Ministry of Social Development,

I'm writing this OIA Request to gather insight into why despite returning Benefit Review Forms before the specified cut off date people on benefits are still facing cuts to their support.

1) Is there an unspecified timeframe that forms should be returned within in order for them to be processed in time? If so, what is it?

2) Do you hold data on how long it takes your staff to process Benefit Review Forms?

3) Could you please supply the data on the average length of time it takes staff to process Benefit Review Forms for the whole of New Zealand?

4) Could you please supply the data on the length of time it takes to process Benefit Review Forms for the Otago Region?

5) Are the letters sent saying supports have been suspended despite forms being returned autogenerated?

6) Is there a manual or automated system to check whether forms have been returned before the date specified on the Benefit Review Form before the letters suspending payments are sent?

7) If not, are there any upgrades in the planning stages to address this?

8) Do you hold data on the number of people nationally who have supports suspended and then reinstated because WINZ realises they do in fact have the forms in their possession?

9) Please supply the data in relation to question 8.

10) Please supply the data for the whole of New Zealand stating the average length of time between suspending payments and reinstating them following people being sent a letter suspending payments.

11) Does a letter stating supplementary supports such as disability allowance and temporary additional support are suspended because a client hasn't returned forms in time when in fact they have impact their traffic light score?

12) What is the average wait time for calls to be answered on the general enquires WINZ line for the months of April and May?

13) Do you have any official advice for clients whose payments have been suspended despite returning forms on time?

14) Do you have any official advice to prevent the suspension of payments when clients have already returned their forms on time?

15) Please supply data on suspended disability allowances for the whole of New Zealand and the number of people who do not get that assistance reinstated.

16) Please supply data for the whole of New Zealand regarding Temporary Additional Support suspensions and the number of people who do not get that support reinstated.

17) Are the problems outlined also happening in relation to other forms with specified dates to return them by? (Such as income review forms)

18) Please supply any official advice available to WINZ staff to making the benefit system less punitive.

19) How many people across New Zealand apply for food grants because their benefits or other supports are suspended despite them returning their forms on time?

20) What is the official advice for disabled people who are too unwell to use the phone or come into an office when it comes to resolving an issue such as suspended payments when said disabled person has returned them on time?

21) If payments such as disability allowance and temporary additional support have been suspended but not the main benefit, does this indicate WINZ staff have processed the benefit Review part of the form but not the disability allowance forms?

Thank you for your time.

Yours faithfully,
Nic Dorward