Request for information as to ethnic breakdown of MSD clients being prosecuted for Fraud and pursued for debt recovery
Māmari Stephens made this Official Information request to Ministry of Social Development
The request was successful.
From: Māmari Stephens
Tēnā koe
I would to know if the ethnic profile of those referred for debt recovery is proportionate to those who are in receipt of social assistance. For example, if (say) 46% of beneficiaries were in receipt of sole parent support in 2016/2017 were Māori, what percentage of SPS recipients with an overpayment raised in 2016/2017 were Māori? Is there a difference between those recipients with overpayments and those prosecuted for fraud, eg the percentage of SPS clients with a fraud prosecution commenced that year? What percentage of those under investigation for fraud were Māori?
I would like the profile for one benefit (SPS) and I would like a collated figure, eg all benefit recipients (under going investigation for overpayment as a percentage of all benefit recipients, broken down also by ethnicity.
I would like also to know the same kinds of figures for recoverable assistance loans (which can be claimed by non beneficiaries)
I would also like to know the numbers for the following years:
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
Ngā mihi
Māmari Stephens
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tēnā koe Māmari Stephens
Thank you for your email received 31 July 2018, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond. You may expect a decision regarding your request to be sent to you as soon as possible.
Nā mātou noa, nā
Official and Parliamentary 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)
Ministry of Social Development
Tēnā koe Mamari Stephens,
Please find attached a letter advising of the need to extend the time
available to make a decision on your OIA request received 31 July 2018
until 14 September 2018.
Nā mātou noa, nā
Official and Parliamentary 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.
------------------------------- 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.
-------------------------------
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Dear Māmari Stephens
On 31 July 2018, you emailed the Ministry requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following information:
· If the ethnic profile of those referred for debt recovery is
proportionate to those who are in receipt of social assistance. For
example, if (say) 46% of beneficiaries were in receipt of sole parent
support in 2016/2017 were Māori, what percentage of SPS recipients with an
overpayment raised in 2016/2017 were Māori? Is there a difference between
those recipients with overpayments and those prosecuted for fraud, eg the
percentage of SPS clients with a fraud prosecution commenced that year?
What percentage of those under investigation for fraud were Māori?
· I would like the profile for one benefit (SPS) and I would like
a collated figure, eg all benefit recipients (undergoing investigation for
overpayment as a percentage of all benefit recipients, broken down also by
ethnicity.
· The same kinds of figures for recoverable assistance loans
(which can be claimed by non beneficiaries)
The numbers for the following years: 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017.
The Ministry has decided to grant your request. However, it will take some
time to prepare the information for release. The information will be sent
to you by 5 October 2018.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[1][MSD request email]
If you are not satisfied with this decision, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Official and Parliamentary 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
------------------------------- 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.
-------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[MSD request email]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tēnā koe
I am emailing to apologise for the delay in responding your request
outlined below. During the sign out process of your response some problems
with the data were identified. The Minsitry has not previously externally
reported on the ethnicity of clients investigated and prosecuted, and
there were concerns about the accuracy of the methodology used to pull the
data. The data is being rerun to ensure it is accurate.
I aplogise for the delay and will send you an update next week when I have
a clearer idea of when you can now expect a response.
Nā mātou noa, nā
Official and Parliamentary 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
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Sent: Friday, 14 September 2018 12:47 p.m.
To: '[FOI #8408 email]'
Subject: Notification of decision regarding your OIA request
Dear Māmari Stephens
On 31 July 2018, you emailed the Ministry requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following information:
· If the ethnic profile of those referred for debt recovery is
proportionate to those who are in receipt of social assistance. For
example, if (say) 46% of beneficiaries were in receipt of sole parent
support in 2016/2017 were Māori, what percentage of SPS recipients with an
overpayment raised in 2016/2017 were Māori? Is there a difference between
those recipients with overpayments and those prosecuted for fraud, eg the
percentage of SPS clients with a fraud prosecution commenced that year?
What percentage of those under investigation for fraud were Māori?
· I would like the profile for one benefit (SPS) and I would like
a collated figure, eg all benefit recipients (undergoing investigation for
overpayment as a percentage of all benefit recipients, broken down also by
ethnicity.
· The same kinds of figures for recoverable assistance loans
(which can be claimed by non beneficiaries)
The numbers for the following years: 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017.
The Ministry has decided to grant your request. However, it will take some
time to prepare the information for release. The information will be sent
to you by 5 October 2018.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[1][MSD request email]
If you are not satisfied with this decision, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at [2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Official and Parliamentary 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
------------------------------- 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.
-------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[MSD request email]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tēnā koe
I am emailing to advise that your response is in the final stages and
should be with you within the next week. I apologise for the delay and any
inconvenience this may have caused.
Nā mātou noa, nā
Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive
Services
Ministry of Social Development
------------------------------- 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.
-------------------------------
From: Māmari Stephens
Dear OIA_Requests (MSD),
Your most recent response is nearly 2 months old. I request an answer to my question. I will lay a complaint with the ombudsman next week if I don't receive a response shortly.
Yours sincerely,
Māmari Stephens
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Good afternoon Māmari Stephens
We apologise for the on-going delay in providing you a response, unfortunately we have had on-going issues with the data picked up at multiple stages through the sign out process of this response. The response should be with you later this week, following a final check of the information.
We recognise this must have been a very frustrating process and apologise again for the time it has taken.
Kind regards
Official and Parliamentary Information team | Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development
show quoted sections
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tēnā koe Māmari Stephens
Please find attached the Ministry’s response to your Official Information Act request.
Nā mātou noa, nā
Official and Parliamentary 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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I have been informed my request has been granted and I will receive the information by 5 October 2018.
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