Identification document fees

A client who meets all qualifications, they may be able to receive a Special Needs Grant for the cost of an identification document where the document is reasonably required as supporting evidence for an application for benefit. The type of document assisted with depends on whether the client was born in New Zealand.

The grant can cover:

• the application fee for a New Zealand birth certificate or
• the application fee, or any other fee, for a document of identification if the client's birth certificate is not registered in New Zealand

This assistance is available to clients applying for a benefit, including those who are imprisoned or detained in prison under a sentence of imprisonment, preventative detention or corrective training, or who are remanded in custody by a Court pending a further appearance before a Court.

A grant can be made for members of the client's immediate family where each family member is included in the benefit application and is required to provide the identification document to support the application.

Note if the client already has a document that shows the legal identity exists, a Special Needs Grant will generally not be required for further identification documents to support an application for benefit.

Unless exceptional circumstances exist, the maximum amount payable towards identification document fees is $500 in any 52 week period.

A Special Needs Grant for identification document fees may be recoverable or non-recoverable. To help you decide whether the Special Needs Grant should be repaid, consider:

• the purpose of the grant
• the nature of the needs
• whether it would be fair in regard to other clients, to require repayment and
• the effect on the client if they were required to repay the Special Needs Grant