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MSD Error Leaves Thousands Short | Auckland News
A government review exposed a massive failure by the Ministry of Social Development, which wrongly suspended over 30,000 payments—including critical Winter Energy Payments for pensioners—due to a flawed annual eligibility system. Over 2,400 main beneficiaries lost thousands each, totaling $2.5 million in unpaid benefits. Despite internal warnings as early as April, leadership ignored staff concerns for three months, and IT failures compounded the chaos. Though all affected individuals have been repaid, legal limits prevent compensation. The episode serves as a stark reminder: policy changes…
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