Child Disability Allowance : Contents
Dependent child
To get a Child Disability Allowance, the client must be the principal caregiver of a dependent child. This includes a principal temporary caregiver of a child for whom Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit is paid.
A dependent child for Child Disability Allowance is a child who is:
- primarily the responsibility of the client
- maintained as a member of that family
- financially dependent on that client
- not a child for whom Orphan's Benefit or an Unsupported Child's Benefit is being paid
- in the custody of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki but has been returned to their parent's care
A dependent child for Child Disability Allowance does not include a:
- child getting payments under section 363 of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 and
- young person getting a Young Parent Payment and their child (see Dependent children, young parents and the child's parent or step parent examples)
If the child is living in a home or hostel they can be considered as dependent on the client if the:
- client is required to contribute to the cost of maintaining the child and
- child is cared for by the client during school holidays or weekends
Care and protection concerns
If MSD believes any child has been, or is likely to be harmed (physically, emotionally or sexually), ill-treated, abused, neglected, deprived or MSD has concerns about the wellbeing of the child, the case must be referred to Oranga Tamariki.
