Social Security Act 2018

Reviews and appeals - Reviews by benefits review committee - Rights of review

391: Right to seek review of specified decision of MSD made under delegation

You could also call this:

“You can ask MSD to look again at some decisions they made about you”

You can ask for a review of certain decisions made by MSD (Ministry of Social Development) if specific conditions are met. These conditions are:

  1. You must be the right type of person to ask for a review, and it must be about a specific kind of decision. There’s a table that shows who can ask for reviews of different types of decisions.

  2. The decision must have been made by someone who was given the power to make that decision by MSD.

  3. The decision must directly affect you or someone’s estate (property left after they die).

  4. The decision can’t be one that you’re only allowed to appeal to a medical board.

The table in the law shows different situations where you can ask for a review. For example, if you’ve applied for or are receiving social assistance, you can ask for a review of MSD’s decision about that. If you’re a spouse or partner of someone receiving benefits, you might be able to ask for a review of a decision to recover money from you in certain situations.

If you’re handling the estate of someone who has died, you might be able to ask for a review of a decision to recover money from that estate.

Remember, just because a decision affects you financially or in some other way, doesn’t automatically mean you can ask for a review. The decision has to be directly about you or the estate you’re handling.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783930.

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390: What this Part does, or

“This part explains how to challenge decisions about your social security benefits”


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392: Application must be made within 3 months after date of notification or further period allowed, or

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Part 7 Reviews and appeals
Reviews by benefits review committee: Rights of review

391Right to seek review of specified decision of MSD made under delegation

  1. A person may make an application to MSD for a review by a benefits review committee of a decision of MSD, but only if—

  2. the person and the decision are of kinds specified in the same row of the following table; and
    1. the decision is made in the exercise of a function, power, or discretion conferred by a delegation; and
      1. the decision is made in relation to the person or estate; and
        1. the decision is not one that section 340(3)(b), 343(b), 371(b), or 396 prevents from being appealed to the appeal authority (for example, because that kind of decision is appealable to the medical board).
          1. The following table is small in size and has 3 columns. Column 1 is headed Row. Column 2 is headed Person who may make application for review. Column 3 is headed Decision to be reviewed.
            Row Person who may make application for review Decision to be reviewed
            Decision under specified social assistance enactment
            1

            An applicant or a beneficiary

            A decision of MSD made under an enactment referred to in section 397(1)(a) to (g)

            Decision under mutual assistance provisions in reciprocity agreement
            2

            An applicant or beneficiary or other person

            A decision of MSD made using a power under section 384 (MSD may use mutual assistance provisions to recover debts) (referred to in section 398)

            Decision to recover from spouse or partner who misleads MSD excess amount beneficiary obtained
            3

            A beneficiary’s spouse or partner

            A decision of MSD—

          2. to recover, from a spouse or partner who misleads MSD, an excess amount the beneficiary obtained; and
            1. made under regulations made under section 444 (referred to in section 399(1)); and
              1. that includes the decisions in row 1 of the table in section 399(1)
                1. Decision to recover from spouse or partner apportioned excess amount beneficiary obtained by fraud
                  4

                  A beneficiary’s spouse or partner

                  A decision of MSD—

                2. to recover from a spouse or partner an apportioned excess amount the beneficiary obtained by fraud; and
                  1. made under regulations made under section 444 (referred to in section 399(1)); and
                    1. that includes the decisions in row 2 of the table in section 399(1)
                      1. Decision to recover from spouse or partner unapportioned excess amount beneficiary obtained by fraud
                        5

                        A beneficiary’s spouse or partner

                        A decision of MSD—

                      2. to recover from a spouse or partner an unapportioned excess amount the beneficiary obtained by fraud; and
                        1. made under regulations made under section 444 (referred to in section 399(1)); and
                          1. that includes the decision in row 3 of the table in section 399(1)
                            1. Decision to recover excess amount from deceased beneficiary’s estate
                              6

                              The personal representative of a deceased beneficiary

                              A decision of MSD—

                            2. to recover from the estate of the deceased beneficiary an excess amount the beneficiary obtained; and
                              1. made under regulations made under section 444 (referred to in row 4 of the table in section 399(1))
                                1. Decision to recover excess amount from deceased spouse’s or partner’s estate
                                  7

                                  The personal representative of a beneficiary’s deceased spouse or partner

                                  A decision of MSD—

                                2. to recover from the estate of the beneficiary’s deceased spouse or partner an excess amount the beneficiary obtained; and
                                  1. made under regulations made under section 444 (referred to in section 399(1)); and
                                    1. that includes the decision in row 5 of the table in section 399(1)
                                      1. For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), a decision is not made in relation to a person or an estate by reason only that the decision has an economic or other effect on the person or estate.

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