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Work homepage
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Overview
We can help you get ready to apply and find the right job for you. We can even help you while you're working.
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Get ready to work
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Find jobs
Find out what jobs are available, which job is best for you and how you can plan your career.
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Working
Whether you've just started a job or need some help at work, we've got your back.
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Lost your job
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Start your own business
Get help to plan and set up a successful business or be a self-employed contractor.
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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
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Health and Disability
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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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Children
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Moving to New Zealand
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Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
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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
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Income
Declare income and income deduction tables
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Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
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Going overseas
Travelling or moving overseas may affect your payments.
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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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Moving house
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Other languages
Read some of our housing information in other languages.
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loginTraffic light system in other languages and alternate formats
We have information about the traffic light system in other languages, Easy Read, large print, NZSL, audio and braille.
Read it in your language
Read it in Easy Read
Read it in large print
Watch it in New Zealand Sign Language
View transcript of 'Traffic light system in New Zealand Sign Language' video
When you're on a benefit, there are things you or your partner need to do (your obligations). We have a traffic light colour system to help you stay on track with some of your obligations.
Most people who get Supported Living Payment are not in the traffic light system.
The traffic light system lets you know where you're at and what you need to do.
If you're at green, you're on track and meeting your obligations.
You'll move to orange if you don't meet your obligations and you don't have a good reason. This means you need to contact us straight away. If you don't contact us and get back on track within 5 working days, you'll move to red.
Once you're at red, your benefit will reduce or stop. This means you need to contact us immediately to get back on track.
If there's any reason why you can't meet your obligations, talk with us straight away. If you haven't been in touch, we'll try and contact you before you move to orange, to find out why you haven't met your obligations.
We'll send you a letter to let you know if you're at orange or red. From early October, you'll also see in MyMSD if you're at orange or red.
You'll be in the traffic light system if you have work-related and/or social obligations. These are:
- find or prepare for work
- take part in Work Ability Assessments, to help us understand what kind of work you can do
- take part in activities with our service providers, to find a job or prepare for work
- social obligations (when taking care of dependent children).
You or your partner will have work-related and/or social obligations if you get one of these benefits:
- Jobseeker Support, or
- Sole Parent Support
You or your partner may have work-related and/or social obligations if you get either:
- Emergency Benefit, or
- Emergency Maintenance Allowance.
You will have other obligations as well. To find out what happens if you or your partner don't meet your other obligations, see 'When you don't meet your obligations'.
Most people who get Supported Living Payment are not in the traffic light system. This is because you do not have an obligation to find work.
You will only be in the traffic light system if:
- you're taking care of dependent children, because this means you have social obligations (to make sure children get health checks and education)
- it has been assessed you can prepare for work and we have discussed this with you (very few people have this), or
- we've asked you to take part in a Work Ability Assessment or to work with a contracted service provider (very few people are asked to do this).
If you have a partner, their obligations are likely to be different. This means they could be included in the traffic light system, even if you're not.