Christopher Luxon and Louise Upston must apologise and take full accountability for the rushed law that stripped payments from pensioners, veterans, carers and disabled New Zealanders in the middle of winter.

"Where are Christopher Luxon and Louise Upston? Hiding behind officials, letting them front for a mess National made," Labour's social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.

"The review is damning. It makes clear the root cause of this disaster was National's rushed law-making and up to 700 jobs cut at MSD.

“This law was pulled out of a proper bill and pushed through without a select committee process. That meant no submissions from the people it would hurt. Nobody checking whether the law did what it was meant to do. And 16,270 pensioners and veterans lost their winter heating payment as a result.

"MSD's own staff raised the alarm on 30 April - two days after payments started. Senior leadership didn't confirm the extent of the problem until 13 August. The question Louise Upston has to answer is simple: when did she know? Because an entire winter went past while elderly New Zealanders sat in cold houses.

"Many of those affected are living pay cheque to pay cheque. Some will have taken on debt, interest and late fees just to keep the power on. 

"And the problem isn’t fixed. She was told to fix the law three weeks ago and there's still no bill.

"Christopher Luxon has never had to worry about whether he can afford to turn the heater on or pay the rent. He says he makes 'no apologies for getting things done'. Tell that to the people whose heating money he caused to be stopped.

"What this government has actually done is cut payments to the elderly and disabled, decline more than 88,000 food grants to hungry New Zealanders, and hide when it all came out.

"Those New Zealanders deserve an apology. We can't afford another three years of this," Willow-Jean Prime said.