IN-CONFIDENCE

Tēnā koe James Welsh

Thank you for your email received 22 May 2026, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond.

The information you have requested may contain the names and contact details of our staff. Please let us know by 27 May 2026 whether you require these names and contact details. We will need to consult our staff before deciding whether we can release this information, and this will take a bit more time. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that you do not require staff names and contact details.

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

-----Original Message-----
From: James Welsh <[FOI #34768 email]>
Sent: Friday, 22 May 2026 4:41 pm
To: OIA_Requests (MSD) <[MSD request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - One Housing Rule for Ministers, Another for Everyone Else?

[You don't often get email from [FOI #34768 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

As a member of the Public, I am incredibly outraged to have learned that the Minister for Social Development is making $1,000 a week for accommodation support for a Wellington Apartment that the Minister herself owns. Any ordinary Kiwi applying for support through MYMSD is required to provide evidence of their needs for support, and as the leader of the Ministry of Social Development - this should be perfectly acceptable to ask the following questions as everyday ordinary Kiwis are expected behave the same.

Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information relating to accommodation allowances claimed by the Minister:

NOTE: This includes e-mails, messages, text messages, any form of communications made on tax payer funded devices or systems, instant messenger exchanges, documents, anything that has been involved on a government device or system can be requested for transparency.

All records relied upon to determine the Minister's eligibility for accommodation allowance payments.

All records demonstrating the basis upon which accommodation allowance payments of approximately $1,000 per week were calculated, approved, reviewed, audited, or authorised.

Confirmation of whether the Minister has declared ownership, part ownership, beneficial ownership, trust ownership, or any other legal or equitable interest in residential property within the Wellington region for the purposes of determining eligibility for accommodation assistance or accommodation allowances.

Any assessments, reviews, investigations, audits, compliance checks, or verification processes undertaken in relation to the Minister's accommodation allowance claims.
Any documents recording housing costs, accommodation expenses, rental obligations, ownership costs, mortgage-related costs, body corporate costs, rates, insurance costs, or other expenses that were taken into account when determining entitlement to accommodation allowance payments.

Any documents discussing whether property ownership within Wellington affects eligibility for accommodation allowance payments, and how such ownership is assessed.
Any documents discussing the appropriateness of accommodation allowance payments being made where the recipient owns, wholly or partly owns, a residential property in Wellington.

Any correspondence, briefings, talking points, media responses, or advice prepared in relation to public scrutiny of the Minister's accommodation allowance claims.
Any analysis, discussion, or advice concerning whether the standards proposed for Accommodation Supplement recipients are materially different from those applied when assessing ministerial accommodation allowances.

All documents recording the rationale for the current level of accommodation allowance payable to Ministers and Members of Parliament, including any analysis of what constitutes a reasonable or necessary accommodation cost in Wellington.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be means-tested, asset-tested, income-tested, or otherwise subject to financial eligibility criteria.

Any documents considering whether recipients of ministerial accommodation allowances should be required to make a minimum personal contribution toward accommodation costs before receiving taxpayer-funded assistance.

Any documents comparing accommodation allowance arrangements available to Ministers and MPs with accommodation assistance available to beneficiaries, superannuitants, low-income workers, students, or other members of the public.

Any documents discussing public perceptions of fairness, equity, consistency, or public confidence in relation to accommodation allowances claimed by Ministers.

Any documents discussing whether ownership of residential property should reduce, limit, offset, or eliminate eligibility for accommodation allowances.

Any documents recording actual accommodation costs incurred by the Minister that were relevant to determining, approving, or justifying accommodation allowance payments.
Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowance payments exceed, match, or fall below actual accommodation expenses incurred by the Minister.

Any guidance, policies, manuals, operational instructions, or internal procedures used to verify that accommodation allowance payments reflect genuine accommodation expenses.

Any audits, reviews, investigations, assurance reports, compliance checks, or exception reports concerning accommodation allowance claims made by Ministers or MPs during the last ten years.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowance recipients are required to demonstrate financial need before receiving taxpayer-funded accommodation assistance.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be available to individuals whose personal income exceeds specified thresholds.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be available to individuals who own one or more residential properties.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be capped by reference to actual housing costs, market rents, mortgage costs, or other measurable accommodation expenses.

Any documents discussing the reputational, political, ethical, or governance risks associated with Ministers receiving accommodation allowances while proposing stricter accommodation assistance criteria for members of the public.

Any documents, emails, messages, meeting notes, briefings, talking points, draft responses, or correspondence prepared following media enquiries concerning comparisons between ministerial accommodation allowances and Accommodation Supplement eligibility criteria.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowance recipients would satisfy the same housing-cost-to-income thresholds proposed for Accommodation Supplement recipients.

Any documents identifying recipients of accommodation allowances whose housing costs represent less than 40% of their gross income.

Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances constitute a subsidy, reimbursement, entitlement, allowance, benefit, assistance payment, or other form of taxpayer-funded housing support, including any discussion of the terminology used to describe such payments.

Any documents discussing potential reforms, reductions, restrictions, eligibility changes, or abolition of ministerial or parliamentary accommodation allowances.

Any communications between Ministers, ministerial staff, parliamentary officials, the Remuneration Authority, Treasury, or officials regarding criticism of accommodation allowance arrangements.

Lastly, and most importantly, morally, are these your values?

Yours faithfully,

James Welsh

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hide quoted sections

IN-CONFIDENCE

Tena koe James Welsh,

 

On 22 May 2026 you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the
Ministry) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982, the
following information:

 

o All records relied upon to determine the Minister's eligibility for
accommodation allowance payments.
o All records demonstrating the basis upon which accommodation allowance
payments of approximately $1,000 per week were calculated, approved,
reviewed, audited, or authorised.
o Confirmation of whether the Minister has declared ownership, part
ownership, beneficial ownership, trust ownership, or any other legal
or equitable interest in residential property within the Wellington
region for the purposes of determining eligibility for accommodation
assistance or accommodation allowances.
o Any assessments, reviews, investigations, audits, compliance checks,
or verification processes undertaken in relation to the Minister's
accommodation allowance claims.
o Any documents recording housing costs, accommodation expenses, rental
obligations, ownership costs, mortgage-related costs, body corporate
costs, rates, insurance costs, or other expenses that were taken into
account when determining entitlement to accommodation allowance
payments.
o Any documents discussing whether property ownership within Wellington
affects eligibility for accommodation allowance payments, and how such
ownership is assessed.
o Any documents discussing the appropriateness of accommodation
allowance payments being made where the recipient owns, wholly or
partly owns, a residential property in Wellington.
o Any correspondence, briefings, talking points, media responses, or
advice prepared in relation to public scrutiny of the Minister's
accommodation allowance claims.
o Any analysis, discussion, or advice concerning whether the standards
proposed for Accommodation Supplement recipients are materially
different from those applied when assessing ministerial accommodation
allowances.
o All documents recording the rationale for the current level of
accommodation allowance payable to Ministers and Members of
Parliament, including any analysis of what constitutes a reasonable or
necessary accommodation cost in Wellington.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be
means-tested, asset-tested, income-tested, or otherwise subject to
financial eligibility criteria.
o Any documents considering whether recipients of ministerial
accommodation allowances should be required to make a minimum personal
contribution toward accommodation costs before receiving
taxpayer-funded assistance.
o Any documents comparing accommodation allowance arrangements available
to Ministers and MPs with accommodation assistance available to
beneficiaries, superannuitants, low-income workers, students, or other
members of the public.
o Any documents discussing public perceptions of fairness, equity,
consistency, or public confidence in relation to accommodation
allowances claimed by Ministers.
o Any documents discussing whether ownership of residential property
should reduce, limit, offset, or eliminate eligibility for
accommodation allowances.
o Any documents recording actual accommodation costs incurred by the
Minister that were relevant to determining, approving, or justifying
accommodation allowance payments.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowance payments
exceed, match, or fall below actual accommodation expenses incurred by
the Minister.
o Any guidance, policies, manuals, operational instructions, or internal
procedures used to verify that accommodation allowance payments
reflect genuine accommodation expenses.
o Any audits, reviews, investigations, assurance reports, compliance
checks, or exception reports concerning accommodation allowance claims
made by Ministers or MPs during the last ten years.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowance recipients
are required to demonstrate financial need before receiving
taxpayer-funded accommodation assistance.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be
available to individuals whose personal income exceeds specified
thresholds.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be
available to individuals who own one or more residential properties.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances should be
capped by reference to actual housing costs, market rents, mortgage
costs, or other measurable accommodation expenses.
o Any documents discussing the reputational, political, ethical, or
governance risks associated with Ministers receiving accommodation
allowances while proposing stricter accommodation assistance criteria
for members of the public.
o Any documents, emails, messages, meeting notes, briefings, talking
points, draft responses, or correspondence prepared following media
enquiries concerning comparisons between ministerial accommodation
allowances and Accommodation Supplement eligibility criteria.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowance recipients
would satisfy the same housing-cost-to-income thresholds proposed for
Accommodation Supplement recipients.
o Any documents identifying recipients of accommodation allowances whose
housing costs represent less than 40% of their gross income.
o Any documents discussing whether accommodation allowances constitute a
subsidy, reimbursement, entitlement, allowance, benefit, assistance
payment, or other form of taxpayer-funded housing support, including
any discussion of the terminology used to describe such payments.
o Any documents discussing potential reforms, reductions, restrictions,
eligibility changes, or abolition of ministerial or parliamentary
accommodation allowances.
o Any communications between Ministers, ministerial staff, parliamentary
officials, the Remuneration Authority, Treasury, or officials
regarding criticism of accommodation allowance arrangements.
o Lastly, and most importantly, morally, are these your values?

 

We have transferred your request to the Department of Internal Affairs as
the information to which your request relates is not held by the Ministry
but is believed to be held by the Department of Internal Affairs. In these
circumstances, we are required by section 14 of the OIA to transfer your
request.

 

Please note that according to sections 14 and 15(1) of the Official
Information Act, the 20-working day response period is reset by the
transfer and starts again on the day the Department of Internal Affairs
receives the transfer notification. The Ministry notified the Department
of Internal Affairs of the transfer today.

 

You will hear further from the Department of Internal Affairs concerning
your request in due course.

 

Na matou noa, na

 

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 Whanau

 

 

This email and any attachments may contain information that is
confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this
email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in
error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the
email and attachments. The Ministry of Social Development accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after
transmission from the Ministry.