9 September 2025
M Smith
[FYI request #31969 email]
Tēnā koe
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00095569
Thank you for your email on 10 August 2025, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora for the
following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
A. What date were the current criteria for claiming travel assistance, under the National Travel
Assistance Scheme, put in place?
B. During the year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 (or most recent 12 month period for which
data is available):
1. How many travel assistance claims were paid nationally under the National Travel
Assistance Scheme?
2. What was the total amount paid out under the National Travel Assistance Scheme
nationally?
3. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients travel ing more than 350
km one way for a visit?
4. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients visiting a specialist 22 or
more times in two months?
5. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients visiting a specialist six or
more times in six months and travel ing more than 50 km one way per visit?
6. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients being a Community
Services Card holder and travel ing more than 80 km one way per visit?
C. Please also answer all of the above questions for the same period, for patients residing in
the Upper Clutha Region (please regard Upper Clutha as: Cromwel , Luggate, Wanaka,
Cardrona, Albert Town, Hawea Flat, Lake Hawea and Makarora)
Response
For ease, I have categorised your request into sections A, B and C. For clarity, I wil address each
section of your request in turn.
Please note the following when reviewing the data provided:
• The released data reflects claims and payments made on the last financial year (FY) 2024-
25 for National Travel Assistance.
• Payments & Claims data were pul ed from the CCPS Database on 27 August 2025.
• Data only shows payments made in the last financial year (FY2024-25) which is from 1 July
2024 to 30 June 2025.
• The amounts paid are GST Inclusive.
A. What date were the current criteria for claiming travel assistance, under the National
Travel Assistance Scheme, put in place?
The National Travel Assistance Scheme's current eligibility requirements were put into place in
August 2009.
B. During the year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 (or most recent 12 month period for which
data is available):
1. How many travel assistance claims were paid nationally under the National
Travel Assistance Scheme?
2. What was the total amount paid out under the National Travel Assistance
Scheme nationally?
Please refer to the below table.
Table One: Number of NTA Claims and Total Paid Nationally (FY 2024-25)
Number of Claims
Total Paid
41,122
$50,033,767.82
3. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients travel ing more
than 350 km one way for a visit?
4. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients visiting a
specialist 22 or more times in two months?
5. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients visiting a
specialist six or more times in six months and travelling more than 50 km one
way per visit?
6. National y, how many travel assistance claims related to patients being a
Community Services Card holder and travel ing more than 80 km one way per
visit?
The above parts of your request are not held in the way you have requested. The amount of travel
assistance claims may not correlate with the number of patients making the claims. To provide this
information, it would require suitable technically experienced staff to apply complex judgement and
create new information. The OIA does not require an agency to create new information to answer a
request. These parts of your request are therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA.
C. Please also answer all of the above questions for the same period, for patients residing
in the Upper Clutha Region (please regard Upper Clutha as: Cromwell, Luggate,
Wanaka, Cardrona, Albert Town, Hawea Flat, Lake Hawea and Makarora).
1. How many travel assistance claims were paid nationally under
the National Travel Assistance Scheme?
2. What was the total amount paid out under the National Travel
Assistance Scheme nationally?
Please note the following when reviewing the table below:
• Data is based on location provided: Cromwell, Albert Town, Luggate, Wānaka, Cardrona,
Hāwea Flat, Lake Hāwea, Makarora.
• There were no NTA claims/payments found in CCPS for Cardrona.
• Hāwea Flat is a suburb in Lake Hāwea, so it is included in the data.
• Albert Town & Luggate are also suburbs under Wānaka in Health NZ system, so they were
included in the data.
Table Two: Number of NTA Claims and Total Paid in Upper Clutha Region (FY 2024-25)
Number of Claims
Total Paid
1,219
$704,833.24
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[email address]. If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. Al requester data, including your name and
contact details, wil be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Sasha Wood
Head of Government Services
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
