At risk of long-term benefit receipt

To qualify for Flexible Childcare Assistance, MSD must consider the client to be at risk of long-term benefit receipt.

This means there is a risk the client will get or continue getting a main benefit for an indefinite period.

To decide if a person is at risk of getting a benefit long-term, several factors need to be considered. These include:

• demographic information e.g. age, gender, ethnicity and location
• level of skills, employment experience and education
• specific barriers to employment e.g. medical conditions, caring responsibilities
• benefit status and history e.g. current period they have been getting a main benefit, time spent on and off benefit, age when they first started getting a benefit
• previous times they got, or participated in, MSD employment programmes and services

Lani is the principal caregiver for 10 year old, Huia. She used to get Jobseeker Support, but cancelled her benefit so that she could increase her hours at work. She works multiple casual jobs.

Lani has been offered a new permanent role. If she accepts this, she only needs to work for one employer and would have a more stable income.

However, this position requires her to regularly work on weekends and she can't afford a private babysitter for Huia.

Lani has low job security, got a benefit in the past and if she doesn't get Flexible Childcare Assistance, she won't be able to accept the new role.

These factors mean Lani is at risk of long-term benefit receipt and may be able to get Flexible Childcare Assistance if she meets the other qualifications.

Jess and Meka have a 2 year old son, Rawiri.

Rawiri attends playcentre for 25 hours a week.

Jess often works night shifts and Meka has recently cancelled her Jobseeker Support to take up part-time work. She picks up Rawiri after she finishes work and looks after him in the evenings.

Meka has been offered some extra hours involving evening work. She needs someone to look after Rawiri and her Mum has offered to help for free when his playcentre closes.

Meka could be considered at risk of long-term benefit receipt because she got a benefit in the past.

However, she would not be able to get Flexible Childcare Assistance because she doesn't need this to help her accept the extra hours at work.

Generally, a person at risk of long-term benefit receipt is either:

• getting (or qualifies to get) a main benefit or
• has a partner who is getting (or qualifies to get) a main benefit

Not everyone getting a main benefit is at risk of long-term benefit receipt.

For example, a person who is work ready is considered capable of getting into and staying in work without our help and only needs a benefit for a short time while they find work.

These people would not qualify for Flexible Childcare Assistance because they are not at risk of long-term benefit receipt.

Sometimes people who are not on a main benefit and are in employment are at risk of long-term benefit receipt.

For example, the client:

• has applied for and been assessed as eligible for a main benefit
• has previously received a main benefit
• is underemployed (i.e., available for full-time work but are unable to secure full-time job opportunities)
• has low job security (e.g., they are a casual or fixed-term worker)

Note this list is not exhaustive.

A person who is not currently getting a main benefit may only qualify for Flexible Childcare Assistance if:

• they are considered at risk of long-term benefit receipt and
• not getting help with their informal childcare costs would mean they cannot participate in the specified employment activity