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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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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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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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Security deposit
A security deposit helps to protect you when there are losses or damages caused by our clients (or anyone else staying with them).
Security deposits need to be agreed to by the client(s) and you (the supplier/provider) and approved before they stay with you.
The amount you can get
The security deposit is generally:
- the equivalent of 7 nights accommodation for Emergency Housing (EH) suppliers or
- up to $1000 for Transitional Housing (TH) providers.
The approved amount will be available to be claimed during or at the end of the client’s stay.
- It’s only to be used if there are costs for any loss or damage (covered by the security deposit) for which the client is responsible, e.g. the security deposit doesn’t cover general wear and tear.
- It can’t be used by you or the client for any other purpose.
This means you must check for any loss or damages and discuss these with the client before they check out or when you become aware of any loss or damages during the client’s stay.
What the security deposit can cover
The security deposit can cover the actual and reasonable costs of:
- breakages or damages caused by the client or anyone staying with them (such as any breakages or damage to the property whether intentional or accidental)
- losses relating to failure of the client to meet their obligations to the supplier/provider under their agreement for stay. This can include replacing items that have been removed from the room, excessive cleaning charges, the room being unavailable due to (excessive) cleaning or belongings left behind and providing replacement keys
- unpaid accommodation costs (this covers unpaid contribution for clients staying in Transitional Housing only).
What it does not cover:
- telephone, internet or pay-television charges
- utilities
- meal charges
- storage of excessive goods
- laundry services
- car-parking
- general wear and tear.
Checking in and checking out
An important part of the security deposit process is that you complete a check-in and check-out process with our clients. This will make sure that clients are aware of their responsibilities and any loss or damage as a result of their stay.
The check-in/check-out process will vary depending on your business. At check-in you should:
- Cover the rules of stay in your accommodation, including the check-out process
- Go over what is provided by your business (items in the room; if cleaning or laundry is covered)
- Note any existing wear-and-tear or damage to the room.
At check-out (returning keys etc) you and the client must go over the state of the room and identify any loss or damages at that time. If a client completes check-out with you, then they must agree to any damage or loss claim for MSD to be able to pay.
When we will not pay the security deposit
If the costs for any loss or damage:
- is more than the amount approved for the security deposit
- if you have discussed the loss/damage with the client and they did not agree that the loss or damage was their responsibility
- is for costs other than loss or damages – for example, other services, such as telephone charges
- if the security deposit has already been fully used (for example, a previous claim from you).
If MSD will not pay for damages or loss, then you will need to seek this cost from the client(s) themselves.
Claiming costs for damage or loss
If you notice damage or loss either during or at the end of the client’s stay, you can invoice MSD up to the amount of the approved security deposit. You can also do this if the client has caused damage or loss and has failed to check out.
Before asking for a security deposit claim, you must discuss the damage or loss with the client(s). This is a required step and will allow you and the client(s) to clarify information for the claim form. If you are unable to contact the client, then this needs to be advised on the form.
You need to provide the Security Deposit Claim Form along with your invoice to your local service centre.
Refunding payments to MSD
Sometimes we may make a payment to the wrong supplier, or a client may leave an emergency accommodation early.
If you need to refund any money that we have paid you on the client’s behalf, you can do this by direct credit:
Account name: MSD ROBOC 3
Westpac account: 03-0049-0006243-25[YA1]
When making a payment by direct credit, you need to enter the:
- client's surname then initials in the 'Particulars' field
- client's 9 digit MSD client number (without the dashes) in the 'Reference' field. Add the letter C before the client number, so it appears in the field as C123456789. If your bank requires 11 characters in the reference field, please add a zero at the end.
If you are making multiple refunds in one payment, please attach a schedule of these, and email this to Crown_Revenue@msd.govt.nz.
The schedule needs to include:
- a breakdown of refunds
- client's surname and initials
- client's 9 digit MSD client number.
In the email, please also tell us the day the bulk payment was made and the total amount paid.