15 April 2026
Tēnā koe Hayden
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your email of 19 March 2026, requesting information about
forecasted expenditure on food-related welfare and hardship assistance, and
analysis of enabling food community networks.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Please find my decision on your request set out below.
•
Treasury's current estimate of the total annual government expenditure on
food-related welfare and hardship assistance, including food grants,
emergency food assistance, and the component of benefit payments
attributable to food costs.
While the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) monitors the number of
hardship grants by category, we do not forecast estimated expenditure for
hardship for food. As such, your request for this information is refused under
section 18(g), as this information 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.
You may be interested in our monthly benefit factsheets, where we publish data
on Special Needs Grants by food, including expenditure and number of grants. You
can find this information here:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-
work/publications-resources/statistics/monthly-reporting/
•
Any analysis of the net fiscal impact of enabling community food networks
— taking into account the potential reduction in food-related welfare
expenditure, diet-related health costs, and regional economic multiplier
effects, against the fiscal cost of tax concessions.
The Ministry was unable to locate any information in scope of this part of your
request. As such, this section of your request is also refused under section 18(g),
as this information 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.
You may be interested in the Material Hardship Lead Indicators Dashboard, which
can
be
found
online,
here:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
work/publications-resources/information-releases/2025/material-hardship-lead-
indicators-dashboard.html I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[email address]. If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request regarding forecasted
expenditure for food, you have the right to seek an investigation and review by
the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
pp.
Anna Graham
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
