16460 (2026). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister for Social Development and Employment

Written Question

Published date: 03 May 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	16460 (2026)
Question asked:	19 Apr 2026
Member asking:	Hon Willow-Jean Prime
Portfolio:	Minister for Social Development and Employment
Minister replying:	Hon Louise Upston
Answer received:	28 Apr 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_16460_2026
Document guid:	5a73b76e-b546-4908-8c4e-1fded088273b

16460 (2026). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Have there been any changes since 1 November 2023 to eligibility criteria, or assessment and decision-making processes, in relation to applications for the Emergency Maintenance Allowance; if so, what were they and when did they come into effect?

Hon Louise Upston: I am advised that as of 2 March 2026, it became a requirement that the Ministry of Social Development must review a beneficiary’s eligibility and rate of a specified benefit at least once every 52 weeks (mandatory reviews).