Reviews of Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance is reviewed to check a client’s (or their partner’s or dependent child’s, if any) disability assessment, and any ongoing costs related to that disability are still accurate.

MSD may review Disability Allowance at any time to check if the client still meets the qualifications and is getting the correct rate of payment.

There are two types of periodic reviews a client can have for Disability Allowance:

• Medical Review
• Mandatory Review

Note for Mandatory Reviews, New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension clients, and non-beneficiaries receiving Disability Allowance must also confirm their income.

The Medical Review occurs when a client’s (or their partner’s or dependent child’s, if any) disability is due for reassessment. A registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must check if the client (or their partner or dependent child, if any):

• still meets the qualifications for Disability Allowance (this includes confirming if the disability duration will be for 6 months or more) and
• has ongoing costs arising from that disability and that those costs are of therapeutic value.

A client will not have a reassessment of their disability when a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner has confirmed that the client or their family member has a permanent disability.

Note if the registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner indicates the duration is less than 6 months, the client is not eligible for Disability Allowance.

Clients getting Disability Allowance must respond to the Mandatory Review at least once every 52-weeks.

The purpose of a Mandatory Review for Disability Allowance is to:

• check for any changes to a client's circumstances
• determine if the client stills meets the qualifications (except for the medical qualifications, they are reviewed separately)
• check for any changes to a client's ongoing costs for Disability Allowance (e.g. including or removing a cost, an increase in cost, or a decrease in cost) and
• review the rate payable

Note the Mandatory Review will check a client’s circumstances but will not be a reassessment of their disability, known as a medical review. Medical reviews will take place separately.

Clients getting Sole Parent Support or Jobseeker Support have a reapplication process they must complete to continue getting their benefit.

These clients will have a Mandatory Review for Disability Allowance when:

• they are completing the reapplication process for the benefit and
• their disability costs have not been reviewed in the last 44 weeks

If a client’s disability costs have been reviewed in the last 44 weeks, there will be no Mandatory Review for Disability Allowance.