The total number of children and caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit broken down for the caregiver, into age, ethnicity, income bracket and areas of New Zealand.
Helen Hewitt made this Official Information request to Louise Upston
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Helen Hewitt to read a recent response and update the status.
From: Helen Hewitt
Dear Louise Upston,
I am the Chairperson for Kin Carers Connect Charitable Trust. Our purpose is to relieve the hardship experienced by kin and whānau caregivers by delivering grassroots support, advocacy, and information that enhances caregiver confidence, strengthens family stability, and promotes legal certainty in caregiving arrangements.
We understand many kin carers are unsupported or isolated. Our outreach program will be enhanced by being informed of the numbers of children, the number of caregivers, and in which areas of New Zealand they are found.
Please provide information on the total number of children and number of caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit broken down into areas of New Zealand.
Also please include the age, ethnicity and income bracket of the caregiver and length of time being a recipient of the Unsupported Child Benefit.
Yours faithfully
Helen Hewitt
Chairperson
Kin Carers Connect Charitable Trust
CC60646
From: Louise Upston (MIN)
Louise Upston
(Please note that this acknowledgement is an automatically generated
email.)
Kia ora,
On behalf of Hon Louise Upston, thank you for your email.
Thank you for contacting Hon Louise Upston, Minister for the Community and
Voluntary Sector, Minister for Social Development and Employment, Minister
for Tourism and Hospitality, Minister for Child Poverty Reduction,
Minister for Disability Issues.
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Thank you for the taking the time to write.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Louise Upston MP
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Minister for Social Development and Employment
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction
Minister for Disability Issues
Email: [Louise Upston request email]
Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Louise Upston MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
From: Louise Upston (MIN)
Louise Upston
Dear Helen,
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 request (the Act),
received on 15^th March 2026. You requested:
Please provide information on the total number of children and number of
caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit
broken down into areas of New Zealand.
Also please include the age, ethnicity and income bracket of the
caregiver and length of time being a recipient of the Unsupported Child
Benefit.
Please note the information requested is not something that is held by the
Minister or her office. This request under section 14 of the Act, is
therefore required to be transferred to the Ministry of Social
Development, as your request is more closely connected to their functions.
The email address for the Ministry’s OIA team has been included in this
email.
Hon Upston and her office do not hold any additional information that is
not already held by the Ministry of Social Development, and accordingly,
they will respond to your request in due course.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant
details can be found [1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
Thank you
Office of Hon Louise Upston | MP for Taupō
Minister for Disability Issues
Minister for Social Development and Employment
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction
Deputy Leader of the House
Website: [2]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
show quoted sections
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
IN-CONFIDENCE
Tēnā koe Helen Hewitt
Thank you for your email received 16 March 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
show quoted sections
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
IN-CONFIDENCE
Kia Ora Helen
I am writing to clarify some points in your request. You requested:
Please provide information on the total number of children and number of
caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit
broken down into areas of New Zealand.
Also please include the age, ethnicity and income bracket of the
caregiver and length of time being a recipient of the Unsupported Child
Benefit.
1. As you know, the Ministry is currently having issues with our data
(from December 2025). The Ministry can provide you data up to February
2026, but no ethnicity. If you want the ethnicity data, we can provide
you with data to November 2025. Please let us know which one do you
prefer.
2. The Ministry also interprets region to mean MSD regional data and
income to mean all earnings.
3. Can you also confirm you want data in the last year? Or if you want
multiple years, please let us know.
Please note, any clarification or amendment of a request is considered to
be a new request for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory
timeframe for response—see section 15(1AA) of the OIA.
Looking forward to your clarification.
Margee
Ngā 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 Whānau.
From: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 16 March 2026 2:36 pm
To: Margee Do <[email address]>; MaES_admin_request (MSD)
<[email address]>
Subject: FW: Official Information request - The total number of children
and caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit
broken down for the caregiver, into age, ethnicity, income bracket and
areas of New Zealand.
IN-CONFIDENCE
Kia ora!
CE OIA
Log and ack (no names)
Margee
Date received: 16 March 2026
Date due: 15 April 2026
Hewitt, Helen (Kin Carers Connect Charitable Trust – via FYI website) –
Request for a breakdown of UCB and OB recipients by area, age, ethnicity,
income and length of receipt
SD, BI
Annabelle 😊
From: Louise Upston (MIN) <[1][email address]>
Sent: Monday, 16 March 2026 12:13 pm
To: [2][FOI #34093 email]
Cc: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[3][email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - The total number of children
and caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit
broken down for the caregiver, into age, ethnicity, income bracket and
areas of New Zealand.
Dear Helen,
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 request (the Act),
received on 15^th March 2026. You requested:
Please provide information on the total number of children and number of
caregivers receiving Unsupported Child Benefit and/or Orphans Benefit
broken down into areas of New Zealand.
Also please include the age, ethnicity and income bracket of the
caregiver and length of time being a recipient of the Unsupported Child
Benefit.
Please note the information requested is not something that is held by the
Minister or her office. This request under section 14 of the Act, is
therefore required to be transferred to the Ministry of Social
Development, as your request is more closely connected to their functions.
The email address for the Ministry’s OIA team has been included in this
email.
Hon Upston and her office do not hold any additional information that is
not already held by the Ministry of Social Development, and accordingly,
they will respond to your request in due course.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant
details can be found [4]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
Thank you
Office of Hon Louise Upston | MP for Taupō
Minister for Disability Issues
Minister for Social Development and Employment
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction
Deputy Leader of the House
Website: [5]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
show quoted sections
From: Helen Hewitt
Dear OIA_Requests (MSD),
In response to your question, please provide the ethnicity data, which is within data up to November 2025.
Yours sincerely,
Helen Hewitt
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Appendix One Helen Hewitt v2.xlsx
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OIA Response Helen Hewitt 1.pdf
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IN-CONFIDENCE
Kia Ora Helen
Please find attached response to your request
Ngā 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 Whānau.
show quoted sections
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