Special Benefit : Contents

• Introduction
• Qualifications
  • Residence
  • Documenting your decision
  • Guidelines
  • Assessment of income deficiency
    • Example with dependent children
    • Example without dependent children
    • Chargeable income
      • Welfare programmes that are chargeable income
      • Income that is not chargeable
      • Family tax credit and Best Start tax credit
        • Clients receiving a main benefit
        • Clients not receiving a main benefit
        • Abated family tax credit
        • Year end family tax credit
        • Estimating weekly family tax credit and Best Start tax credit
        • Shared care - family tax credit and Best Start tax credit
    • Allowable costs
      • Accommodation costs
      • Childcare costs
      • Counselling
      • Disability and personal health
      • Formula-assessed Child Support costs
      • Transport costs due to a disability
      • Hire purchase agreements
      • Motor vehicles
      • Public transport to work
      • Telephone rental
    • Allowable costs not in client's name
    • Costs not generally allowed
      • Orphans or Unsupported Childs Benefit is being paid
      • Clients with an orphan or unsupported child
    • Disposable income
    • Standard costs
    • Deciding what rate to pay
  • Cash assets test
    • Cash assets
    • KiwiSaver and superannuation scheme account contributions
    • Pre-paid funeral expenses
  • Assessing whether a clients individual circumstances justify payment
    • Students
      • Expenses
      • Extraordinary expenses
      • Student Allowance declined due to parental income
      • Students chargeable income
    • Non beneficiaries
    • Self-employed clients
    • People not able to receive Special Benefit
    • Seasonal workers
    • Partners overseas
    • Social Rehabilitation programmes
    • Residential Support Services
• Payment
  • Advice
  • Lump sum payments
    • Examples - Lump sum payments
• Commencement date
• Changes and Reviews - Special Benefit
  • Absence from New Zealand
  • Client advises of a change more than 14 days after the event
  • Cancelling Special Benefit
    • Hardship assistance up to 8 weeks from cancellation
    • Hardship assistance after 8 weeks from cancellation
  • Change in accommodation
  • Change in accommodation income
    • Advises more than 14 days after the event
  • Change in assets
  • Change in costs
  • Change in family circumstances
    • Client's relationship ends
    • Client in new relationship
    • Child turns 18
  • Change in income
  • Death of a client
    • Avoiding a debt
    • Terminal benefit
      • Terminal benefit rate
    • Death of a married, civil union or de facto client
    • Death of a dependent child
    • Client dies before grant or review
    • Debt recovery
  • Debt recovery maximum
    • Debt types not included
  • Hospitalisation
    • Clients receiving a main benefit
    • Non-beneficiary clients
  • Imprisonment
  • Mismatch of accommodation income and accommodation costs
  • Reviews - 3 and 6 month
  • Study
  • Suspending Special Benefit
  • Transfer

Related information

Benefit rates

Superannuation rates

Employment and training

Your rights and responsibilities

Help from Work and Income

Finding work