-
Benefits and payments homepage
-
Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
-
Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
-
Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
-
Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
-
Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
-
Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
-
Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
-
Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
-
Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
-
Payment issues
Fixing issues with Accommodation Supplement, Special Benefit and other payments we’ve made
-
16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
-
Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
-
-
Work homepage
-
Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
-
Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
-
Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
-
Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
-
Job Connect on Facebook
Find out how we can help you get ready to work, find work, and support available while you're working.
-
CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
-
Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
-
Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
-
Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
-
Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
-
Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
-
Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
-
-
On a benefit homepage
-
Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
-
Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
-
Income
Declare income, wages deduction calculator and tables
-
Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
-
Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
-
Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
-
Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
-
Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
-
-
Housing homepage
-
Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
-
Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
-
Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
-
Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
-
Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
-
Types of documents we accept
When you and your partner (if you have one) have to provide supporting documents as part of your application process, there are only certain types of documents we'll accept.
We'll let you know what supporting documents you and your partner (if you have one) need to provide once you've applied.
You must provide original documents or certified true copies.
You need to provide 2 forms of identification. You'll need to provide:
- 2 Government-issued IDs
- If you don't have 2 Government-issued IDs, then you can provide one Government-issued ID and one other document that proves your identity.
If you have a partner, they'll also have to provide these documents as well.
If you’ve had a benefit before and have already provided Government-issued ID, you don’t need to provide this evidence.
You need to provide 2 of the following documents that show your full legal name and date of birth.
Documents must be current or, if expired, no more than 2 years old.
Born in New Zealand | Born overseas |
---|---|
|
|
If you can't provide 2 types of Government-issued ID, you'll need to provide 1 Government-issued ID and 1 of the following:
- bank document
- a document from a health practitioner
- education organisation documents
- employment letter or payslips
- Inland Revenue letter
- insurance documents
- letter from prominent community member
- power account
- rates notice
- telecommunications account
- tenancy agreement
- Kiwi Access card (18+).
Non-government-issued documents that prove your identity must be no more than 6 months old.
If your legal name on your Government-issued ID has changed, you'll also need to provide either:
- a marriage certificate
- a deed poll
- other evidence of the name change.
You need to provide evidence of the bank account you want your payments to go into. This can be a:
- bank statement
- deposit slip
- screenshot of your online banking
- printout of your online banking.
Your evidence must show the:
- bank's logo
- full bank account number
- account name (plus other names if it's a joint account).
If you provide a printout of your online banking, it must also show the web address. If your printout doesn't show this information, it will need to be stamped, initialled and verified by the bank.
You need to provide evidence of your last pay and all income you've received from any source in the last 26 weeks and 52 weeks. We’ll use this information to compare your earnings over these 2 periods and work out the earliest date we can start your benefit. For example, we would need to see evidence of your last pay and all income you've received from:
- work
- regular insurance payments, eg ACC
- investments
- interest
- business
- private pensions
- rent or boarders.
This can be:
- payslips
- a printout of your earnings for the last 12 months from Inland Revenue
- bank statements
- a letter from your employer(s).
You need to provide evidence of your accommodation costs.
If you rent or board, this can be a Tenancy Agreement.
If you own your own home, you will need to provide your original:
- mortgage agreement
- insurance (excluding contents)
- rates
- ground lease
- water rates.
Your evidence must show:
- your full name
- how much you pay
- how often you pay these costs.
For you or your partner (if you have one)
You or your partner (if you have one) need to provide a medical certificate from your health practitioner, eg doctor or GP, to tell us how your health condition or disability affects your ability to work.
Some health practitioners send us medical certificates electronically. If you or your partner already have a Work and Income client number, make sure they include that on the certificate.
If your health practitioner doesn't send the medical certificate electronically, you'll need to bring or send it in.
For a child
You need to provide a medical certificate for any children or young people you care for. It needs to confirm that the child or young person needs constant care and attention due to a serious disability.
For someone you're caring for
You need to provide a medical certificate to confirm the level and type of care the person you're caring for needs.
If you're applying for a Disability Allowance, you need to get your health practitioner to complete a Disability Certificate.
A Disability Certificate needs to be completed for each family member who has expenses relating to a disability. You'll also need to provide of any medical costs that your health practitioner lists in question 6 of this form.
If you're applying for a Disability Allowance for counselling, you, your health practitioner and your counsellor also need to complete the Disability Certificate - Counselling form.
You need to provide evidence of your health and disability related costs that have been verified by a registered health practitioner.
These can be either:
- invoices
- receipts
- quotes
- printouts.
Your evidence must show:
- your full name
- how much you pay
- how often you pay these costs.
You need to provide evidence of each dependent child in your care. This must be a full birth certificate.
Applying for Childcare Subsidy
You need to get your childcare provider to complete the Childcare Subsidy Verification form.
Applying for Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy
You need to get your OSCAR provider to complete the OSCAR Subsidy Verification form.
Applying for Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment
You need to get your childcare provider to complete Part F of the Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment application form.
If you're applying for Temporary Additional Support, you need to provide evidence of your:
- essential household items, eg hire purchase agreements
- employment-related costs, eg:
- bus fares
- cc rating of your car and the mileage.
Your evidence must show:
- your full name
- how much you pay
- how often you pay these costs.
You need to provide evidence of your overseas pension, eg:
- pension certificates
- letters.
You need to provide evidence of your cash assets, eg:
- bank statements
- bonus bonds
- trust documentation
- share certificates.
You also need to provide evidence of any non-cash assets, eg insurance certificates.
If you're 20 or under and have recently left high school or tertiary education, you need to provide your leaving certificate.
If you're applying for a Funeral Grant, you need to provide the death certificate of the person who's died.