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Benefits and payments homepage
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Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
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Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
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Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
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Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
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Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
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Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
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Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
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Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
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Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
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Payment issues
Fixing issues with Accommodation Supplement, Special Benefit and other payments we’ve made
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16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
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Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
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Work homepage
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Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
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Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
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Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
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Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
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Apprenticeship Support Programme
Get help to retain and bring on new apprentices.
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CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
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Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
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Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
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Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
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Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
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Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
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Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
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On a benefit homepage
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Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
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Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
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Income
Declare income, wages deduction calculator and tables
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Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
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Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
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Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
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Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
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Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
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Housing homepage
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Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
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Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
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Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
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Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
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Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Medical board hearing
If you don't agree with a decision we've made on medical grounds about your eligibility or obligations, you can ask the Medical Appeals Board to take a fresh look.
This independent body will review the impact of your health condition on your capacity for work to see if the decision made was correct and fair.
You need to apply for a Medical Appeal Board hearing within 3 months of being told of our decision.
When the benefit is: | When the decision is about: | |
whether you qualify for the benefit |
your obligations (eg work obligations or drug testing obligations) | |
Child Disability Allowance | √ | × |
Jobseeker Support | √ | √ |
Supported Living Payment on the ground of health condition, injury or disability (this includes countries where New Zealand has a Reciprocal Agreement under which clients can receive the Supported Living Payment) |
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Supported Living Payment on the ground of caring for a person requiring care | × | √ |
Sole Parent Support | × | √ |
Veteran's Pension, and you are under 65 years of age with a health condition, injury or disability that is not related to your service | √ | × |
Partner of a person on a main benefit (eg, Jobseeker Support, Supported Living Payment, Sole Parent Support, Emergency Benefit) | × | √ |
You can't appeal:
- how much money you get if you're on a benefit, eg Disability Allowance
- whether you're eligible for a benefit based on reasons that aren't medical
- what supplementary payments or extra help you're entitled to.
For these decisions you need to follow the process for Review of a decision
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Try to resolve the issue with us first
Speak to your case manager or a Work and Income staff member about the decision you disagree with. We're keen to try and resolve things before you consider taking it to the Medical Appeals Board which will take time and commitment.
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Complete a Medical Appeals Board hearing application
If you've talked through your concerns with us and you aren't happy with the outcome, you need to complete an application for a Medical Appeals Board hearing.
If you can't print the form we can send you a copy or you can pick one up at your local service centre.
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Internal review
When we receive your appeal application, we'll do an internal review involving a regional health and disability advisor or health practitioner.
We'll write to you to tell you the outcome of the review - usually within 2 weeks of receiving your application.
If we change our original decision, we'll let you know what this will mean for you.
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An appeal goes to the Medical Appeals Board
If we think the original decision is correct, or part of it is correct, your appeal will be lodged with the Medical Appeals Board so a hearing can be held.
You'll be contacted by the Medical Appeals Board to arrange a suitable date for a hearing.
We'll then confirm with you the details of the hearing and also send you the report we have prepared for the Medical Appeals Board.
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Attending the hearing
We encourage you to attend the hearing so you can present your case and hear the appeal being considered.
If you need help with transport costs to and from the hearing, we can help with this. If it's going to be difficult for you to attend, we might be able to help, eg arrange wheelchair access, an interpreter, or for you to take part by phone.
You can bring others with you, eg a support person, agent or lawyer. Let us know before the hearing if you want to bring someone with you.
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What happens at a hearing
The hearing is a meeting lasting about an hour where the members of the Medical Appeals Board consider all the information used to make the original decision.
Before the hearing takes place we encourage you to give us and the board any further medical documents or evidence you'd like considered.
If you attend the hearing, we'll also attend to explain how the original decision was made. If you decide not to take part, we won't either.
The board may ask you to have another medical examination. We'll pay for this and any travel or related costs. If you don't want to be re-examined, you need to let the board know.
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When a decision is made
No decision will be made at the Medical Appeals Board hearing. We'll write to you with the board's decision and send you a copy of its final report. This is generally about 3-4 weeks after the hearing.
We'll also explain any changes we'll need to make to your benefit because of the board's decision.
Sometimes the board will ask for more information, so getting a decision may take longer.
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What if you still disagree?
The decision of the Medical Appeals Board is binding for you and us and there's no right of appeal. You can talk to us if you want something clarified.
If it's more than 3 months since the Work and Income decision you disagree with was made, and you want to appeal, you need to tell us the reason for the delay.
If the reason for delay is a good one, the Medical Appeals Board will meet to consider this and may decide to go ahead with a hearing. If it doesn't think the reason is good enough, the original decision will stand.
You can withdraw your appeal at any time. To do this you need to contact the Medical Appeals Board co-ordinator as soon as possible. You can find their phone number on the letter we sent you about the hearing, or you can call us on 0800 559 009 and we can put you in touch with the Work and Income service centre that was dealing with the matter.