24 January 2023

Scout Barbour-Evans
[FYI request #21347 email]

Tēnā koe Scout Barbour-Evans

On 6 December 2022, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the
Ministry) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982  (the Act), the
following information:
•  Any papers, correspondence and advice received regarding the choice
to exclude preventative and routine dental care from the grant
Special Needs Grants (SNGs) for dental treatment from the Ministry provide
support for low-income people’s oral health in specific circumstances,
however, the provision of oral health services is primarily a health issue and
is generally addressed through the health system.
Covering preventative dental  costs through SNGs  would contradict the
general requirement for someone to have an immediate and essential need.
Therefore, the Ministry is not well suited to cover preventative dental care.
This setting has been in place for a number of years and was maintained
during the recent policy changes to SNGs for dental treatment.
One document has been  identified  which contains  information  in scope of
your request:
•  REP/20/11/1040 – Report – Implementing the manifesto commitment
to increase emergency dental support for low income households,
dated 20 November 2020
This report provides detailed policy and implementation advice on the
changes to SNGs for dental  treatment, which included increasing the limit
from $300 to $1,000 and removing the need for immediate and essential
dental treatment to have arisen from an emergency situation.
To expedite a response, I have excerpted the section of the document
containing advice to continue to exclude preventative and routine dental care
from the SNGs for dental treatment. Please contact the Ministry if this was
not the intent of your request.

REP/20/11/1040 excerpt:
•  The Programme does not include SNGs for the costs of periodic dental
care  such as regular check-ups and cleaning (scaling and polishing),
cosmetic (crowns and bridges) or orthodontic treatments such as
braces for straightening crooked teeth or treating an improper bite. By
removing the requirement for a need to have arisen from an
emergency situation, arguably, in some circumstances, more
preventative dental treatments such as regular check-ups and cleaning
may be considered immediate and essential. However, MSD
recommends maintaining current  settings and the exclusion of these
types of preventative treatments will be explicitly reflected in the
Programme. This is because oral health issues are generally addressed
through the health system.
The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which
you made your request are:
•  to  create  greater  openness  and  transparency  about  the  plans,  work
and activities of the Government,
•  to  increase  the  ability  of  the  public  to  participate  in  the  making  and
administration of our laws and policies and
•  to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs.
This Ministry fully supports those principles and purposes. The Ministry
therefore  intends  to  make  the  information  contained  in  this  letter  and  any
attached documents available to the wider public. The Ministry will do this by
publishing this letter on the Ministry’s website. Your personal details will be
deleted, and the Ministry will not publish any information that would identify
you as the person who requested the information.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email].
If  you  are  not  satisfied  with  this  response,  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

Bede Hogan
Policy Manager
Income Support Policy
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Document Outline