Delays
Liz made this Official Information request to Ministry of Social Development
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From: Liz
Dear Ministry of Social Development,
Under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) I would like to request the policies,
processes, decision/Information papers and/or guidance documents:
Where it states it is acceptable for MSD staff to:
- refer sick female with no transport or money who is seeking emergency accommodation to a homeless shelter (not funded by MSD).
- Tell people who call for emergency food grants to contact a food bank rather than providing emergency food support.
- Information regarding why MSD no longer respond to request for book face-to-face appointments, via your website, mymsd, email or by phone. I note that the call centre person stated it was COVID related, we are not in lockdown so why are appointments still not occuring.
three times in the last month I rang the call centre and I was waiting for over 45mins at time over an hour for a representative.
Please provide data on the number of calls which waited over 45-59 minutes, greater than 1 hour by month for the last 3 years. If available please provide this by region, ethnicity, age.
- Information on your call back process i.e the whereby staff will only call three times and if there is no response they will no longer progress your application. Information as to why staff won't pre-book teleconferencing times or notify the client in advance that a call will be between certain hours. I note a missed call can include a staff member calling for just one ring and hanging up,
- Data on how many active applications you have requesting support or a benefit that have exceeded a 8 week waiting time or longer. Please include date application received, type of benefit/support they are seeking(benefit type), region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ European, Other), age, gender, partnership status)
- Data on the number of applications that took longer than 8 weeks to process for the last 3 years. (year, type of benefit/support they sought, region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ European, Other), age, gender, partnership status)
Yours faithfully,
Liz
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tçnâ koe Liz,
Thank you for your email received 29th April 2021, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond. You can expect a decision as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request was received.
The information you have requested will likely contain Ministry employee names and contact details. We need to consult relevant Ministry employees before deciding whether we can release this information to you, and this will take additional time and effort.
If you do not need the names of Ministry employees who are below tier 4 and/or who are not decision-makers, please advise us as soon as possible and we will treat your request as amended accordingly.
In any event, the Ministry will make and communicate to you a decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable, and within the statutory maximum time limits – including the extension of time limits (Section 15A of the Act).
Nâ mâtou noa, nâ
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 mâtou he whakamana tangata kia tû haumaru, kia tû kaha, kia tû motuhake
show quoted sections
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tçnâ koe Liz,
Thank you for your email received 29th April 2021, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National Office to respond. You can expect a decision as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request was received.
The information you have requested will likely contain Ministry employee names and contact details. We need to consult relevant Ministry employees before deciding whether we can release this information to you, and this will take additional time and effort.
If you do not need the names of Ministry employees who are below tier 4 and/or who are not decision-makers, please advise us as soon as possible and we will treat your request as amended accordingly.
In any event, the Ministry will make and communicate to you a decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable, and within the statutory maximum time limits – including the extension of time limits (Section 15A of the Act).
Nâ mâtou noa, nâ
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 mâtou he whakamana tangata kia tû haumaru, kia tû kaha, kia tû motuhake
show quoted sections
From: Liz
Dear OIA_Requests (MSD),
Thank you for your email, I note that staff names are not necessary and can be omitted.
Yours sincerely,
Liz
From: Liz
Dear OIA_Requests (MSD),
I do not need the names of Ministry employees who are below tier 4 and/or who are not decision-makers.
Yours sincerely,
Liz
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Dear Liz
Please find attached a letter advising of the need to extend the time
available to make a decision on your OIA request received 29 April 2021
until 11 June 2021.
Sincerely yours
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 Liz,
On 29 April 2021, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the
Ministry) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982, the
following information:
o Where it states it is acceptable for MSD staff to refer sick female
with no transport or money who is seeking emergency accommodation to a
homeless shelter (not funded by MSD).
o Tell people who call for emergency food grants to contact a food bank
rather than providing emergency food support.
o Information regarding why MSD no longer respond to request for book
face-to-face appointments, via your website, mymsd, email or by phone.
I note that the call centre person stated it was COVID related, we are
not in lockdown so why are appointments still not occuring.
o three times in the last month I rang the call centre and I was waiting
for over 45mins at time over an hour for a representative.
o Please provide data on the number of calls which waited over 45-59
minutes, greater than 1 hour by month for the last 3 years. If
available please provide this by region, ethnicity, age.
o Information on your call back process i.e the whereby staff will only
call three times and if there is no response they will no longer
progress your application. Information as to why staff won't pre-book
teleconferencing times or notify the client in advance that a call
will be between certain hours. I note a missed call can include a
staff member calling for just one ring and hanging up.
o Data on how many active applications you have requesting support or a
benefit that have exceeded a 8 week waiting time or longer. Please
include date application received, type of benefit/support they are
seeking(benefit type), region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ
European, Other), age, gender, partnership status).
o Data on the number of applications that took longer than 8 weeks to
process for the last 3 years. (year, type of benefit/support they
sought, region, ethnicity (Maori, Pacifica, Asian, NZ European,
Other), age, gender, partnership status).
On 25 May 2021 the Ministry wrote to you to advise we required more time
to respond to your request. You were advised you would receive a response
no later than 11 June 2021.
The Ministry has decided to grant your request in part. However, it will
take some more time to prepare the information for release. You will be
provided with written responses to your questions. Some information is
refused under section 18(e) of the Act as it does not exist, and some
informtion is refused under section 18(f) as it will require substantial
manual collation. The information will be sent to you by 25 June 2021
Please accept my apologies for the delay in respondng to your request.
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 be safe, strong and independent.
Manaaki Tangata, Manaaki Whānau.
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Sent: Tuesday, 25 May 2021 3:34 pm
To: '[FOI #15291 email]'
<[FOI #15291 email]>
Subject: Ministry of Social Development | Your Official Information Act
Request dated 29 April 2021
Dear Liz
Please find attached a letter advising of the need to extend the time
available to make a decision on your OIA request received 29 April 2021
until 11 June 2021.
Sincerely yours
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.
-------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[MSD request email]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
From: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Ministry of Social Development
Tçnâ koe Liz,
Please find attached the Ministry’s response to your Official Information
Act request.
Nâ mâtou noa, nâ
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 Whânau.
------------------------------- 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.
-------------------------------
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