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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
You can get training, help with CVs and cover letters, and advice for job interviews.
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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
We'll help you get ready to find a new job and support you while you're between jobs.
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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
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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Moving to New Zealand
Payments you can get from us, settling into NZ, overseas pensions and more.
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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
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
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Income
Declare income and income deduction 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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Going overseas
Going on holiday or going to live overseas
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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
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Other languages
Read some of our housing information in other languages.
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Using a payment card
How to use your payment card, where you can use it and what you can buy.
Make sure you:
- sign the back of your card
- set a personalised PIN before you use it
- spend the money within 7 days from when it's loaded onto the card (for glasses you have up to 28 days)
- use the card at shops that are registered with us and accept payment cards
- only spend up to the amount of money on your card.
You can now set a personalised PIN on your payment card, to keep the money on your card safe and secure. From 23 September you must set a personalised PIN before you can use your payment card. Find out how to set your PIN
How to use the card
- At the checkout, swipe the payment card through the EFTPOS terminal.
- Select the CHQ option.
- Enter your personalised PIN – if you haven't set a PIN yet, enter the last 4-digits of the card number.
- Sign your receipt – the shop staff will check this matches your signature on the back of your card.
Don't throw the card away after you've used up the balance. Keep it so we can use it again if you need more help.
What you can buy
You can only use your payment card to buy the essential items you applied for. These are things like:
- food and groceries
- clothes
- dental treatment.
You can't buy non-essential items like:
- alcohol
- cigarettes, tobacco or vaping products
- gift cards or vouchers (except for phone top-ups)
- lotto tickets
- non-essential appliances or electronics (such as an air fryer or gaming console).
If you're a young person in Youth Service on Money management, there's a few different rules about what you can get:
Where you can use it
You can only use payment cards in shops that are registered with us and accept our cards. When you apply we'll talk with you about what help you need, how much money has been granted and which shops you can go to. You can check which shop your payment is for in MyMSD.
You may be able to use the card in more than one registered shop, depending on what you've applied for. For example, you can use food grant payments in more than one grocery or food shop.
Money leftover
You can check how much money you've spent and how much is left online in MyMSD.
You may have money leftover if you:
- haven't spent all the money yet because you're planning to spend it at more than one shop
- didn't need to spend all the money.
Any money you don't need will stay on the payment card until the 7 days is up. After the 7 days is up it will expire. If the money is for glasses you have up to 28 days to spend it.
If you don't spend the full amount on your card, you can't get cash out for the rest. You also can't get vouchers or gift cards for the rest.