The One News Thomas Mead demolition derby this week has been on the MSD. It's led their news.

Thomas has breathlessly reported after an inquiry under the Official Information Act revealed a number of rejections of Special Needs Grants for urgent and essential emergency costs. The inquiry found these rejections were increasing, and more than 8000 people were declined on the basis food was deemed 'non-essential'.

The ministry says this was caused by an administrative error in which the wrong option had been selected but it maintains this did not mean the underlying decision was incorrect.

Now, I have no idea what that means. Did they make a mistake or were they not incorrect? I don't know. But whatever.

Thomas Mead has been hunting down anyone who will demand that MSD or the minister apologise. But the minister and MSD are flatly refusing.

Frankly, it got a bit farcical, with the head of MSD dancing on the head of a pin and refusing to say sorry. It was a word salad. His mouth was flapping, but nothing was being said.

Now look, I get why MSD doesn't like the bad news. I get that those refusals affected only 0.094 percent of claimants, which is a small number. However, it's still 8000 people and 8000 families affected. They were affected because they were unable to get grants for food, a basic necessity.

Those 8000 people over six years, while a small minority, deserve an apology.

The refusal by the minister and the department just perpetuates the story that they are heartless and don't care about the poor and the hungry. That perception will last longer than any perception of ineptitude this case has created.

And yes, it's all about ineptitude. You can apologise for that while you're at it, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, the minister, Louise Upston, pointed out that MSD processes more than 350,000 claims a year successfully.

But Louise, that's the real shame.

Six percent of New Zealanders need government help to afford food and that's nothing to be proud of.

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