Contents
Special Needs Grant : Contents

Qualifications

To get a Special Needs Grant a client must:

  • meet an income and cash asset test
    For more information see: Verification
  • have an essential need, emergency need or need a payment for specific circumstances
  • not be able to meet the need from their own resources or through other sources
  • have met any hardship obligations that have been applied to them
  • be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (ie not be in New Zealand unlawfully, here or on a temporary entry class visa or a temporary permit) - except for Afghan evacuees who can get a re-establishment grant if they hold a temporary entry visa and have applied for a Afghan Emergency Resettlement Visa)
  • generally be ordinarily resident in New Zealand and
  • purchase goods and services from a preferred supplier when there is an arrangement in place

For more information see:

You may also consider the extent to which the client has caused or contributed to the immediate need or to the situation that has led to the immediate need.

Australian clients

Australian citizens or residents are lawfully allowed in New Zealand, as they are considered to hold a residence class visa.

However, they must still be ordinarily resident in New Zealand and meet all other eligibility criteria for a Special Needs Grant.

For more information see:

Legislation

  • Special Needs Grants Programme
  • MSD may refuse or cancel benefit if person not ordinarily resident in New Zealand section 204 Social Security Act 2018
  • Refugee or protected person status section 205 Social Security Act 2018
  • General limitation on receiving benefit: persons unlawfully resident or present in New Zealand and persons holding temporary entry class visa section 19 Social Security Act 2018
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A person can be a New Zealand citizen by either:

For New Zealand citizenship, New Zealand includes the self-governing states of:

Citizenship is granted by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Note people born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau may not automatically be New Zealand citizens. To be considered a New Zealand citizen from birth, a person born on or after 1 January 2006 must have:

A person evacuated to New Zealand from Afghanistan due to the deteriorating political and security situation after the withdrawal of international forces in 2021, who either:

Temporary entry class visas are issued to people who have arrived in New Zealand legally, but are only allowed to stay for a temporary period for the duration and purposes indicated on the visa.

A temporary entry class visa means:

Legislation

A residence class visa means a:

A residence class visa allows people to live in New Zealand indefinitely. The visa also lets people work and study in New Zealand. There are different travel conditions based on the type of residence class visa.

Residence class visas are granted by Immigration New Zealand.

For the purpose of deciding if a person meets the residence criteria for financial assistance from MSD, people who ...

Temporary permits were granted before 29 November 2010 for visits, work or study. A temporary permit only allows a person to stay legally in New Zealand for the duration and purposes indicated on the permit.

Temporary permits granted under the Immigration Act 1987 continue to be valid until their expiry date.