Obligation to advise of departure from New Zealand (main beneficiaries only)

All clients getting a main benefit must tell the Ministry of Social Development before they leave New Zealand.

If the client does not tell the Ministry of Social Development before they go overseas, their main benefit payments will stop from the day after they leave New Zealand.

If a client tells us they will be absent from New Zealand, and they have an approved travel reason, they may be able to keep getting payments for up to 28 days.

Clients who do not keep getting a main benefit while overseas may still be able to get Child Disability Allowance, if their absence does not affect the client's eligibility for this assistance and they told the Ministry of their absence before they travelled overseas.

This assistance is limited to 28 days in any 52 week period.

The Ministry of Social Development has an Approved Information Sharing Agreement with New Zealand Customs Service that identifies clients getting a benefit who have left New Zealand.

Once identified, the client's eligibility to keep getting their benefit payments while they are absent from New Zealand is automatically determined by Ministry systems.

If the client did not tell the Ministry they were leaving New Zealand their benefit will be suspended immediately from the day after they left New Zealand. As a result their Child Disability Allowance must also stop.

The Integrity Intervention Centre will determine if there has been an overpayment, establish any debt and advise the client.

If a client challenges the information match refer them to the Integrity Intervention Centre.

Clients may contact us from overseas to advise of their travel. When they do this their benefit may be:

• resumed from the date they notified the Ministry of their absence, if their travel is allowed or
• backdated to the departure date (in limited circumstances)

For more information about absence from New Zealand see:

• Paying benefit when client failed to advise of absence, in relevant main benefit
• Approved travel reasons, in relevant main benefit
• Calculating period of absence, in relevant main benefit
• Action on return to New Zealand