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16 June 2026
Tēnā koe John Luke
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your email of 17 April 2026 to the Ministry of Social Development
(the Ministry) requesting information about the appointment process for the
Benefit Review Committee - Auckland Region.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry recruited for the
Committee Fee Members, Benefit Review Committee
- Auckland Region role publicly through the New Zealand Herald, the Seek website,
jobs.govt.nz, and the Ministry’s Job Platform.
Please refer to the attached
Appendix which provides the following resources:
• The New Zealand Herald Public Notices, dated 13 April 2026.
• A copy of the
Committee Fee Members, Benefit Review Committee –
Auckland Region job advertisement as it appeared on other platforms.
1
Some information has been withheld as it is out of scope of your request.
You have asked about the pay rates for the
Committee Fee Members, Benefit
Review Committee – Auckland Region role. The current rates are:
• $131.26 for 0 to 3 hours (gross - including 3 hours)
• $262.52 for more than 3 hours (gross)
The Ministry has received 74 applications for the
Committee Fee Members, Benefit
Review Committee – Auckland Region role. The part of your request that asks for
how many were received from other nominating agencies is refused under section
18(e) as the information does not exist.
As at 19 May 2026, there were 23 shortlisted applicants for the role, and no
interviews had taken place at that time. Please get in touch with us if you are
seeking an update on the number of interviews and we will consider your request.
You have asked how many vacancies the Ministry is looking to fill for this round
for the
Committee Fee Members, Benefit Review Committee – Auckland Region
role. The number of appointments will be based on regional demand. For example,
as at 18 April 2024, there were 57 Community Representatives spread throughout
1 Please note that there were some slight differences between the copy used on the Ministry platform, the jobs.govt.nz website,
and the newspaper publications. The variations were mainly due to word count constraints and format requirements for print
media, which meant that the Ministry had to adapt the advertisement to fit within those specific limitations.
the Ministry’s 11 Service Delivery regions. To ensure adequate cover, each region
has a pool of representatives that can be called upon to help ensure the Benefit
Review Committee can consider reviews in a timely manner. As at 19 May 2026,
there are 73 Community Representatives.
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
matter
further,
please
contact
[MSD request email]. If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, 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
