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Special Needs Grant : Contents

Loss of livelihood

During a civil defence emergency or adverse event, situations may arise that will prevent a person from being able to work.

Payment can be considered when a person cannot work and loses income due to the civil defence emergency or adverse event as:

  • their workplace is closed
  • they cannot travel to work due to the emergency or
  • they need to stay with their family or whanau

Note a Civil Defence Payment for loss of livelihood can only be made to a person who is legally allowed to work in New Zealand. This means they need to be a New Zealand citizen or have a visa that allows them to work in New Zealand

The person needs to provide confirmation they are unable to work and their employer is not continuing to pay salary or wages.

For self-employed people, confirmation is needed that they are unable to run their business and income from the business has stopped.

Part-time employment (beneficiaries)

People getting a benefit who work part-time and unable to work due to the civil defence emergency or adverse event are not eligible for payments for loss of livelihood.

As they would have been declaring their income from part-time employment their benefit will be restored to the full rate for the period they are unable to work.

Part-time employment (non-beneficiaries)

People not a getting benefit who work part-time and are unable to work due to the civil defence emergency or adverse event may get payments for loss of livelihood.

Payment is the lesser of the loss of net earnings or the maximum amount.

Maximum payment

The maximum weekly payment cannot exceed the set limits or the actual loss of net earnings:

  • for people in billeted or temporary accommodation (e.g. in motels, hotels, camping grounds or home-stays), payments are based on 75% of the net weekly rate of Jobseeker Support
  • for people not billeted, payments are based on the equivalent net weekly rate of Jobseeker Support

For more information see:

Payments are only available until the person is able to return to work, or the activation of Civil Defence Payments for the event ends.

If Civil Defence Payments are no longer available and the person is unable to return to work, an Emergency Benefit can be considered.

When work has stopped or is unlikely to be available for a substantial period, consider Jobseeker Support.

For more information see:

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