53109 (2025). Hon Dr Duncan Webb to the Minister for Social Development and Employment

53109 (2025). Hon Dr Duncan Webb to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does the ministry provide support to people who are subject to a property order under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 and who are required to pay the audit fees of the Public Trust under s 46 of that Act where those people have insufficient means to pay those costs?

Hon Louise Upston: I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) that MSD has one-off, recoverable hardship assistance payments for beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries who meet the eligibility criteria. These are Recoverable Assistance Payment (non-beneficiaries only) and Advance Payments of Benefit (beneficiaries only). There is no on-going financial assistance available specifically for audit fees. A person seeking assistance from MSD to pay for audit fees would need to meet all the eligibility criteria. This involves meeting the appropriate income and asset tests, as well as general hardship assistance criteria which includes that there must be an immediate and essential need for the audit fees to be paid and there are no other sources of assistance to meet the need. More information is available in the following links: • www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/extra-help/recoverable-assistance-payment/immediate-and-essential-needs-01.html • www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/extra-help/recoverable-assistance-payment/other-sources-of-assistance-01.html As there is no specific payment category to assist with audit fees, a Recoverable Assistance Payment is limited to $200 unless exceptional circumstances exist. An Advance Payment of Benefit has a guideline limit of $200 but can be up to 6 weeks’ worth of the person’s main benefit rate. Exceptional circumstances must exist for an Advance Payment of Benefit to exceed the 6-week limit. A range of factors are considered when deciding if a person has exceptional circumstances, including whether not assisting with the cost of the audit fees would increase or create any risk to the life or welfare of the client, their partner, or dependent children, and whether the client could have reasonably been expected to make provision for the need. At minimum, audit fees are expected to be paid every year the Property order is in place. If a person met the criteria to receive a one-off payment to cover the audit fees, it is not guaranteed they will receive assistance the following year. The client would need to meet all eligibility criteria again, and MSD would need to consider whether the client could have made arrangements to cover the cost given it was foreseeable.