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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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Moving to New Zealand
Payments you can get from us, settling into NZ, overseas pensions and more.
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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 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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Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Extraordinary Care Fund
You can apply if a child you care for shows promise in a skill or talent, or because they are experiencing difficulties and need extra support. To qualify you need to get the Orphan’s Benefit or Unsupported Child’s Benefit.
You can apply for one grant of up to $2,000 each year.
If you're caring for more than one child, you can apply for each child.
The Extraordinary Care Fund helps pay for extra costs you have because a child you care for:
- shows promise in an ability, skill, or talent, for example in school, sports, dance, or music
- is experiencing difficulties that impact their development, for example learning or behavioural difficulties
You can apply if you get the Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit.
Grants are made based on your child's needs and the documents that support this, not your family’s financial situation.
Showing promise
Examples of costs we can help with:
- Participating in a national Kapa Haka competition
- Attending a science academic programme or event
- Competing in a national sports competition
- Coaching, tutoring or mentoring
- Private music lessons and instrument hire or purchase
Experiencing difficulties
Examples include:
- courses or activities to:
- develop self-esteem, physical capability, or social skills for example YMCA programmes
- improve their ability to learn if they have learning difficulties
- swimming lessons (if they haven't learnt to swim at school)
- orthodontic work that isn’t funded by the Ministry of Health
- counselling
You can apply for other costs we haven't mentioned here.
We can’t help to pay for:
- costs covered by an Establishment Grant or School and Year Start-up Payment
- health and medical costs, for example:
- doctor's visits
- medication
- everyday costs, for example:
- school trips
- vehicles
- legal costs
- childcare
- overseas travel and related costs, for example:
- hotels
- overseas courses
- teacher aides
- school uniforms.
Between 1 July to 30 June each year you can get one grant of up to $2,000 for each child you care for.
This table is a guide to how much we can help with:
Cost type |
Cost guide |
Technology: Laptops |
Secondary school level: up to $1,400 Intermediate school level: up to $1,200 Primary school level: up to $750 Primary school level to secondary school level all $500 Under 5 years: $500 by exception only You can apply for help with technology every two years unless there are exceptional circumstances. |
Musical instruments | Up to $900 |
Music lessons | $150 to $250 each term |
Clothing and equipment for sports and arts | $500 to $1,200 |
Counselling Psychological fees/services |
$60 to $200 per session |
Development programmes e.g. Speech development, YMCA programmes |
Initial assessment $125 to $180 per hour. $45 to $130 per session |
Extra tuition | $400 to $880 each term |
Orthodontics | Up to $2,000 |
Step 1: Fill out an application form
Print and fill out the Extraordinary Care Fund Grant application form.
If you can't print the form, call us and we'll post one to you.
Step 2: Gather your documents
You'll need to provide:
- Proof of the cost you're applying for, for example:
- A quote
- The receipt
- A letter from an organiser asking for payment.
- Letters of support
There may be other documents you need to provide if you’re applying for help with technology, costs over $2000, or orthodontic treatment.
Letters of support
A letter of support explains how your child is showing promise or how they’re experiencing difficulty. If you're applying for a cost that's:
- under $500, you need one letter of support
- $500 or more, you need 2 letters of support
The letter needs to be from an independent person, for example:
- A teacher
- Coach
- Other person of standing in the community
Technology
If you’re applying for help with technology, you need to provide documents:
- from the school with their recommended item, especially if they have a 'bring your own device' (BYOD) programme
- for anything that's significantly more expensive than what the school recommends, your letter of support will need to outline why it’s needed
You can apply for help with tablets/iPads/laptops every two years unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Applying for costs over $2,000
If you're applying for a cost that's more than $2,000, you need to confirm how you can pay for the rest of the cost.
Orthodontic treatment
If you’re applying for help with orthodontic treatment, for example braces, you need to provide documents from the orthodontist with:
- the proposed treatment
- how long the treatment will take
- confirmation of any payments made so far and the balance owing
Step 3: Submit your application
You can get your completed form and documents to us by either:
- dropping these into your nearest service centre
- posting these to your nearest service centre.
A panel assesses each application. They meet 4 times this year, but you can apply at any time.
We'll write to you to let you know the outcome of your application.
If you apply before: |
You will hear back from us after: |
26 February 2023 | 6 April 2023 |
1 May 2023 | 9 June 2023 |
1 August 2023 | 11 September 2023 |
1 November 2023 | 11 December 2023 |