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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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Job Connect on Facebook
Find out how we can help you get ready to work, find work, and support available while you're working.
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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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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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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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Overseas travel
If you get any sort of payment from us, you must tell us about your travel plans and reasons for travel before you leave New Zealand. You need to tell us before you go or your benefit will stop.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) provides consular assistance to New Zealand citizens who are experiencing difficulty overseas. There’s information about consular assistance on the SafeTravel website. Please contact MFAT consular staff if you’re distressed and need immediate assistance.
If you get New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension, you may still be able to get your payment.
Payments may be affected
Payments for the following benefits will stop from the day after you leave New Zealand:
- Jobseeker Support
- Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
- Sole Parent Support and you have work obligations or work preparation activities
- Supported Living Payment and you have work preparation activities
- Emergency Benefit
- Emergency Maintenance Allowance
- Youth Payment
- Young Parent Payment
- Partners with work obligations, work preparation obligations with activities or youth activity obligations.
Exemptions
These payments may only continue for certain reasons. We have to approve the reason before you leave the country.
You may be able to leave New Zealand without an approved reason and continue to get your benefit for up to 28 days if you've told us before you go and you're getting:
- Sole Parent Support and you don't have any:
- work obligations
- work preparation activities
- Supported Living Payment and you don't have any work preparation activities
- Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment and you don't need to attend education, training or work-based learning, eg you're going during a semester break
Your partner may be able to leave New Zealand if you're getting Jobseeker Support or Supported Living Payment and they don't have any work obligations or work preparation activities.
Approved travel reasons
If you've told us before you go overseas and we agree that you have an approved reason for leaving New Zealand, your payment may continue. Approved reasons could be:
- you have a job interview
- there's a strong possibility that you might be offered a job
- you have an important event to attend for a family member, eg:
- to visit a family member who's seriously ill
- a funeral
- a wedding
- to provide support to a party or witness to a court case
- you're getting Supported Living Payment and:
- competing in a multinational or international Special Olympic or Paralympic Games competition
- going to get vocational training that's been agreed with your case manager, and the training's not available in New Zealand
- going to get disability assistance dog training that's been agreed with your case manager, and the training's not available in New Zealand
- you, your partner, child or sibling have to get medical treatment overseas and meet the Ministry of Health and District Health Board's criteria
Your payment can continue for up to 28 days, or up to:
- 6 weeks if you're approved because you're competing in a Special Olympic or Paralympic Games competition
- 2 years if you're approved because you're getting:
- vocational training
- disability assistance dog training
- medical treatment not available in New Zealand.
How to tell us
You can tell us online using MyMSD. You need to log in and select the 'Something has changed' option. If you have a partner and they're travelling with you, they'll need to tell us using their own MyMSD. You need to tell us:
- the date you're leaving New Zealand
- the date you're expecting to arrive back in New Zealand
- the reason for the travel - you have to provide proof of this.
Getting Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment
If you get Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment, you also need to contact your Youth Service provider directly to tell them about your travel.