Upston told Parliament no benefit suspensions occurred despite MSD briefing her two weeks earlier

MSD briefed Social Development Minister Louise Upston on 13 August about benefit payments being wrongly suspended due to processing delays from a rushed law change. Yet in Parliament the following Tuesday, Upston said "no" when asked whether suspensions had occurred, later correcting to "possibly." MSD cannot say how many people were affected. All payments have resumed and been backdated.