Responding to adverse events
The resilience of New Zealanders is tested from time to time when adverse events occur, such as floods, droughts, fires, earthquakes or human events. As part of our role in social development, we have a wide reach into the regions – sometimes we are the only public service agency that is on hand to support small local communities. We are therefore often in a good position to lead the central government response to local and regional adverse events.
In order to help people and communities to maintain their resilience, we responded to many emergency events throughout the year. These included flood events in Gisborne and Rotorua, a power outage in Auckland, bushfires in Nelson, and the mosque attacks in Christchurch.
Emergency events often require a co-ordinated national and regional response to ensure that client and community needs are met, and that recovery actions enable and empower community resilience. We engaged with the individuals, family, whānau, iwi and hapū who live in the communities most affected by emergencies. Regionally, our staff worked with affected communities to support the local welfare response including the provision of critical services. Nationally, we contributed to an all-of-government response including the 0800 Government Helpline service (0800 779997).
Supporting families and communities affected by the Christchurch mosque attacks
Immediately after the attacks on 15 March 2019, teams from MSD, E Tū Whānau, Muslim communities, government agencies, Auckland Emergency Management, Auckland District Health Board and other community partners headed to Christchurch to work with local staff, clients and whānau to try to support those affected through an extremely traumatic time.
We provided support for people in the aftermath of the attacks as part of the hub established by Christchurch City Council, which included 12 Muslim MSD case managers who travelled from Auckland to provide support to their Christchurch colleagues for three weeks. We were able to provide prompt assistance to those who needed it by having eight MSD staff at a time working in the support hub while others were responding to demand for assistance in service centres. Our hospital liaison case manager was on hand to provide support to people arriving at Christchurch Public Hospital.
We provided emergency financial assistance such as Special Needs Grants, and ongoing assistance such as Emergency Benefits and Temporary Additional Support.
After the hub closed, we continued to provide specialist assistance for those who were impacted, in collaboration with Victim Support, from two of our Christchurch service centres.
Since 29 April we have led the Government response and maintained a dedicated team of case managers to support victims and their families. These case managers help people to access the range of supports available across government and in the community, for example by connecting them with specialist immigration advice provided by licensed advisors and lawyers, and with court victim advisors to provide support through the court process, and assisting families to access mental health support and counselling services through the Canterbury District Health Board.
We also:
- implemented a Ministerial Welfare Programme to provide financial assistance to families who were impacted by the attacks who were not eligible for existing financial support
- extended eligibility to MSD financial assistance for those granted residency through the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa established by Immigration New Zealand after the attacks.
The dedicated case management team continues to support these families to adapt to their new reality. This includes support to increase their skills in areas such as financial management, learning and improving English, and learning to drive. This intensive service is needed because the families in case management have multiple needs for support that require co-ordinated delivery.
The Christchurch Mosques Attack Payment is part of a package of government support for those who need financial help and who are not currently able to work. At 30 June 2019 there were 58 people receiving these payments, with an average weekly payment of approximately $300. We were paying main benefits or welfare programme payments to 132 families in case management.
In May 2019 Cabinet agreed to extend fi nancial assistance to people aff ected by the Christchurch mosque attacks through a Ministerial Welfare Programme.
By 30 June 2019, we had provided:
- 301 hardship grants, worth $128,800
- 828 Civil Defence payments, worth $291,616 to people aff ected by the Christchurch mosque attacks
A main benefit or welfare programme payment to 132 families in case management.
