Total amount MSD has spent on drug testing 2019-20 - Official Information Act 1982 response letter

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by William

Response letter dated 13 January 2022 to an Official Information Act 1982 request about the total amount spent by the Ministry of Social Development/Oranga Tamariki on drug testing for 2019/2020. The Ministry explains the request was partially transferred because Oranga Tamariki does not hold drug testing cost information and states it does not drug test staff or clients. The letter describes how pre-employment drug testing costs are handled for beneficiaries with work obligations, including employer reimbursement and recovery from client benefits, and outlines the policy’s aims and exclusions for drug dependency support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Request and scope

Transfer of part of the request

Refusal under section 18(e)

Drug testing policy for work-obligation beneficiaries

Recruitment cost rationale

Employer reimbursement and recovery from benefits

Policy aims and support approach

Exclusion for drug dependency sanctions

Transparency and next steps

Publication of letter and attachments

Ombudsman review rights

13 January 2022 Tēnā koe On 25 November 2021, you emailed Oranga Tamariki requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information: • The total amount spent by the Ministry of Social Development/Oranga Tamariki on drug testing for 2019/2020? • If possible, can we have the data on how much was spent on drug testing staff and how much was spent on drug testing clients. On 1 December 2021, your request was partially transferred to the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry), as the information about the Ministry’s drug testing costs are not held by Oranga Tamariki. The Ministry does not drug test staff members or clients. As such, I am refusing your request under section 18(e) of the Act, as the information does not exist, or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found. Beneficiaries with work obligations are required to take and pass a drug test where an employer or training provider asks for one as part of the application process for a suitable job. In most cases a drug test is deemed a recruitment cost for the employer, not prospective employees. The drug testing policy for beneficiaries with work obligations allows the employer to be reimbursed for the test if a person fails, as long as the employer has informed Work and Income at the time of lodging the vacancy that the job requires a pre-employment drug test. When a client with work obligations fails a drug test or refuses to comply with a drug test, the cost of the drug test is passed onto the client. Work and Income reimburses employers for the costs of the drug test and those costs are recovered as a debt from the client’s benefit. This policy aims to identify clients who are prevented from taking up suitable employment due to drug use or who refuse to apply for drug tested jobs, and to quickly get them back to a position where they can apply for a full range of suitable employment. Beneficiaries diagnosed with a drug dependency will not be sanctioned under this policy, but they will receive the support they need to address their addiction. You can find more information about pre-employment drug testing here: [www.workandincome.govt.nz/on-a-benefit/pre-employment-drug-testing.html](www.workandincome.govt.nz/on-a-benefit/pre-employment-drug-testing.html) The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which you made your request are: • to create greater openness and transparency about the plans, work and activities of the Government, • to increase the ability of the public to participate in the making and administration of our laws and policies and • to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs. This Ministry fully supports those principles and purposes. The Ministry therefore intends to make the information contained in this letter and any attached documents available to the wider public. The Ministry will do this by publishing this letter and attachments on the Ministry’s website. Your personal details will be deleted, and the Ministry will not publish any information that would identify you as the person who requested the information. If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact [OIA_Requests@msd.govt.nz](OIA_Requests@msd.govt.nz). If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parl[iament.nz](iament.nz) or 0800 802 602. Ngā mihi nui pp Magnus O’Neill General Manager Ministerial and Executive Services

FAQs

What information was requested about drug testing for 2019/2020?

The requester asked for the total amount spent by the Ministry of Social Development/Oranga Tamariki on drug testing for 2019/2020, and, if possible, the split between amounts spent on drug testing staff and on drug testing clients.

Why was the request only partially transferred and partially refused?

On 1 December 2021, it was partially transferred because Oranga Tamariki does not hold the Ministry’s drug testing costs. The Ministry refused under section 18(e) because the information does not exist or cannot be found despite reasonable efforts.

How are drug testing costs managed when a beneficiary with work obligations is involved?

Drug testing is treated as a recruitment cost for employers in most cases. The employer can be reimbursed if the person fails, provided Work and Income was informed when lodging the vacancy; if the client fails or refuses, costs are passed to the client as recovered debt from their benefit.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by William

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