Risk to public safety

Generally, to allow the client time to resolve their warrant to arrest, Work and Income cannot begin the process to stop a client's benefit until 28 days after the warrant was issued (and then after the client has been given a further 10 day notice period).

However in some circumstances, the benefit and any Extra help, including non-beneficiary assistance, can be suspended immediately when:

• the police provide a written request to suspend the client's benefit and
• the Commissioner of Police has reasonable grounds to consider the client to be a risk to public safety and
• the request is signed by the Commissioner of Police or a constable who is of, or above, the level of inspector

People who have a warrant to arrest and who have been assessed as a risk to public safety are being actively pursued by the police. The police will take all reasonable steps to locate the person; however, if they are unable to locate them, they will use the warrant to arrest policy to aid this process.

Note the 50% protection for clients with dependent children does not apply to non-beneficiary assistance in public risk situations. When a non-beneficiary client with dependent children is identified as being a public risk, all of their assistance is suspended immediately.

This process is managed by Centralised Services.

For more information see:

• Advising client once benefit has been suspended