Food Grants Misclassified for Six Years | Auckland News

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 9, 2026 · 1m

Eight thousand New Zealanders were wrongly denied food grants over six years because the Ministry of Social Development misclassified them as “non-essential”—a coding error, not a policy decision. Minister Louise Upston insists no apology is needed, calling it an administrative mistake while affirming food is essential. Regional commissioner Blair McKenzie stepped in to apologize, acknowledging the error and expressing regret for those affected. Though the impacted number is a tiny fraction of all grants issued, the ministry is rolling out new staff training to prevent future errors and…