Contents
Child Disability Allowance : Contents

Qualifications

To qualify for Child Disability Allowance, a client must:

  • generally be 16 years or over
  • be the principal caregiver of a dependent child with a disability (or if there is no principal caregiver, have the care and control of the child for the time being)
  • be a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder (i.e. not be in New Zealand unlawfully, or here on a temporary entry class visa) and
  • generally be ordinarily resident in New Zealand

In addition to this the child must:

  • generally be ordinarily resident in New Zealand
  • be a dependent child
  • have a physical, sensory, psychiatric or intellectual disability
  • need constant care and attention because of the disability
  • be likely to need care permanently, or need care for more than 12 months and
  • meet the required living arrangements

For more information see:

A client who is getting Child Disability Allowance can also get other payments for the child.

For more detailed information see:

Legislation

  • Child disability allowance: discretionary grant: section 78 Social Security Act 2018
  • Meaning of child with a serious disability: section 79 Security Act 2018
  • MSD may refuse or cancel benefit if person not ordinarily resident in New Zealand section 204 Social Security Act 218
  • General limitation on receiving benefit: persons unlawfully resident or present in New Zealand and persons holding temporary entry class visa section 19 Social Security Act 2018
  • Refugee or protected person status section 205 Social Security Act 2018
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A person with an intellectual disability has intellectual functioning significantly below average. They may also have limitations with their behaviour (either behavioural problems or difficulty with managing day to day tasks or both).

An intellectual disability is not an illness or a disease and there may be various causes, for example; genetic, chromosomal abnormality or injury. One example of intellectual disability is Down Syndrome.

A person can be a New Zealand citizen by either:

For New Zealand citizenship, New Zealand includes the self-governing states of:

Citizenship is granted by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Note people born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau may not automatically be New Zealand citizens. To be considered a New Zealand citizen from birth, a person born on or after 1 January 2006 must have:

A residence class visa means a:

A residence class visa allows people to live in New Zealand indefinitely. The visa also lets people work and study in New Zealand. There are different travel conditions based on the type of residence class visa.

Residence class visas are granted by Immigration New Zealand.

For the purpose of deciding if a person meets the residence criteria for financial assistance from MSD, people who ...

Temporary entry class visas are issued to people who have arrived in New Zealand legally, but are only allowed to stay for a temporary period for the duration and purposes indicated on the visa.

A temporary entry class visa means:

Legislation