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  1. Home
  2. About Work and Income
  3. Our services
  4. What you'll need to give us when you make an application
  5. Types of documents we accept

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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.

Information

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
  • NZ birth certificate (apply online for a birth certificate)
  • NZ passport (current or expired)
  • Driver licence, which is either:
    • photo licence
    • temporary paper driver licence
  • firearms licence
  • Steps to Freedom release form
  • Oranga Tamariki issued Custody Order
  • New Zealand passport
  • passport from another country (current or expired) showing your residence class visa or permit
  • citizenship certificate
  • NZ Refugee Travel Document
  • If you're from Australia, your Australian:
    • passport
    • birth certificate
    • proof of residence
  • If you're from Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue, your:
    • birth certificate
    • letter of confirmation
    • certificate of registration
    • certificate of naturalisation
  • letter of confirmation of your residence class visa or permit from Immigration New Zealand

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.

Medical certificate information for health practitioners

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.

linksDisability Certificate (PDF 197.1KB)

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.

linksDisability Certificate - Counselling (PDF 118.42KB)

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.

linksChildcare Subsidy Verification form (PDF 70.92KB)

Applying for Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy

You need to get your OSCAR provider to complete the OSCAR Subsidy Verification form.

linksOSCAR Subsidy Verification form (PDF 123.69KB)

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.

linksGuaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment application form (PDF 623.38KB)

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.

How to get a death certificate - NZ Government

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