Checks for income viability when cancelling a benefit
Rhys Lewis made this Official Information request to Ministry of Social Development
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From: Rhys Lewis
Dear Ministry of Social Development,
I would like to ask two questions about the due diligence carried out by WINZ when a benefit is stopped. I am curious about whether it is similar to the situation where a power company cannot stop supplying power to a person who is medically dependent on electricity.
1. What checks does WINZ do to establish the financial position of a person before cutting their benefit. For example is there a minimum amount of other income or available savings that a person must have before a benefit is cut, or are there no checks on a person's financial viability?
2. How many cases were there where a person had a benefit cut between 1 July 2025 and 31 December 2026, and of those cases how many people were left with less than $300 a week of income, or WINZ did not establish the financial position of the person who had the benefit cut?
Yours faithfully,
Rhys Lewis
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
IN-CONFIDENCE
Tēnā koe Rhys Lewis
Thank you for your email received 8 February 2026, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Official 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
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From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tçnâ koe Rhys Lewis
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.
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