Not viable to commute

To qualify for Relocate for Work Support the client must have accepted a job in a location that is not within viable commuting distance of their principal place of residence.

This means it is not practical for the client to travel between their principal place of residence and their job location.

Note principal place of residence is the address where the client lives most of the time.

To decide whether a job is within viable commuting distance, MSD must consider the client's individual circumstances rather than whether it would be a viable commute for the average person. The factors that should be considered include, but are not limited to:

• health conditions or disabilities:
  • if they impact or prevent the client using public transport or driving
  • if the employer offer can be more flexible to meet the client's needs
• family circumstances:
  • if the client has care arrangements (e.g. childcare) that impact the hours they can work
  • if the client's commute would fit with their care arrangements
• distance from their principal place of residence:
  • how far away the client's job is
  • time it would take the client to commute each day
• financial impacts of commuting:
  • if transport would cost more than the client could afford
  • if the client would be financially disadvantaged by the cost of commuting
• availability of transport:
  • if the client has their own transport
  • availability of public transport services between the client's principal place of residence and their job
  • if the client's hours of work fall within the hours public transport services operate

Note any location 150km or more from the client's principal place of residence is not considered to be within viable commuting distance.

Example 1

Geoff is single and lives in Bluff. He is currently getting Jobseeker Support and Disability Allowance for the extra costs he has from his epilepsy.

Geoff has been looking for a full-time job in Bluff but has been unable to find anything that meets the flexibility he needs to manage his disability. Due to his epilepsy Geoff cannot drive and gets Disability Allowance for transport and other costs related to his epilepsy.

Geoff is offered a permanent job of 35 hours per week at minimum wage in Invercargill. This job has the flexibility he needs with his disability and means he will be able to stop his Jobseeker Support.

Invercargill is only a 25-minute drive from Bluff, however public transport is infrequent and expensive. Geoff applies for Relocate for Work Support to help with his move to Invercargill.

MSD determines Geoff meets all the qualifications, including that it is not viable for him to commute between Bluff and Invercargill due to his disability. MSD approves Geoff's Relocate for Work Support application.

Example 2

Tina lives in Marton and is getting Sole Parent Support with part-time work obligations. She has sole custody of her 7-year-old child, and the father is not involved in their lives. Tina's child is in school from 9.00am-3.00pm Monday to Friday.

Tina has been searching for jobs locally that work around the hours her child is home but has been unable to find anything.

She has been offered a 2-year fixed-term job as a librarian in Palmerston North which is a 40-minute drive from Marton. Her hours are contracted from 9.00am till 2.00pm 5 days a week. However, because of the distance she wouldn't be able to drop her child off at school and make it to work on time. Driving to work every day would also be financially difficult. Tina applies for Relocate for Work Support to help her move to Palmerston North.

MSD determines it is not viable for her to commute to Palmerston North and that she meets the other qualifications. Tina's Relocate for Work Support application is approved.

Example 3

Bella and her partner Dan currently live in Orewa. Neither Bella nor Dan work and they get a couple's rate of Jobseeker Support. Bella has been looking for a job but has been unable to get a job locally that would support both her and Dan.

Bella is offered a permanent job in Manukau as a cleaner for 37 hours per week at minimum wage. Bella and Dan have a car and Bella can drive herself to this new job as it is only one hour away. However, commuting from Orewa to Manukau and back every day would be expensive. Using public transport would take around 2.5 hours each way.

If Bella and Dan stay in Orewa and Bella commutes to work every day, after tax, rent and utilities, they will be left with less than $100 per week for food and any other expenses. This is not financially viable for Bella.

Bella and Dan have found accommodation in Manukau and moving there would mean they would be left with around $450 a week after tax, rent and utilities. Bella applies for Relocate for Work Support to help with their moving costs.

MSD approves Bella's Relocate for Work Support application as it is not viable for her to commute to her new job, and she meets all other qualifications.

Example 4

Peter lives in Island Bay, Wellington. He is currently getting Jobseeker Support and has been unable to get a job close to where he lives.

He has been offered a 1-year fixed term full-time job in the suburb of Thorndon of 40 hours a week at slightly higher than the minimum wage. Thorndon is a 40-minute bus ride away from his home.

Peter does not have a car or driver licence so is not able to drive to work. His job's rostered hours are from 6.30am-2.30pm 5 days a week. This means that Peter will need to leave home at 5.45am to get to work on time. Peter applies for Relocate for Work Support to help move closer to his new job.

Although Peter meets the other qualifications, MSD determines that a 40-minute bus ride is a viable commute for Peter. He doesn't meet this qualification and his Relocate for Work Support application is declined.

Example 5

Karan and his partner Anahera have one child and live in Rakaia. They get Jobseeker Support. Their child, Jai, is 12 years old and goes to school from 8.30am-3.30pm 5 days a week.

Karan has full-time work obligations and Anahera has part-time work obligations. Anahera works part-time at the local school from 9.00am-2.00pm for a total of 25 hours per week. Karan has been looking for a job locally that works around being home with Jai when he is home from school but has been unable to find anything.

Karan has been offered a permanent full-time job of 40 hours per week in Christchurch. Christchurch is a 45-minute drive from Rakaia. His proposed work hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm.

This means that Karan won't be home till around 5.30pm (accounting for rush hour). As he is keen to spend more time with his son after school, he is looking for ways to move his family closer to his new job.

Karan applies for Relocate for Work Support to help with his family's moving costs. MSD determines that the distance Karan needs to commute for his job is viable. As Anahera can be home with Jai after school, Karan's desire to be home doesn't make this commute non-viable as his childcare arrangements are not affected.

MSD declines his Relocate for Work Support application.