Telephone rental costs - essential household items

Allowable costs for Temporary Additional Support can include rental of a basic telephone and telephone line rental costs (including wiring maintenance charges and mobile phone plans) for a client when the ongoing cost of the telephone is:

• directly related to the client's personal safety or security or
• directly related to the client's special family circumstances

In addition, these costs must be regular and essential to meet the family's daily living needs and could not be readily avoided or varied when the expense was incurred.

Note the cost of buying a phone (including a mobile phone) or having it installed is not an allowable cost for Temporary Additional Support as this is not an ongoing cost. This includes fixed term mobile phone plans through which the mobile phone itself is purchased.

The cost of telephone rental for a basic telephone and telephone line rental costs (including wiring maintenance charges and mobile phone plans but excluding toll charges) can be included as an allowable cost for Temporary Additional Support where a telephone is essential for the client's personal safety or security.

For example, a frail client living on their own, or a separated client with a protection order against a partner.

A client must provide verification of their circumstances to have the cost of a telephone included such as documentation from:

• police
• court order
• women's refuge
• previous history held by MSD
• Oranga Tamariki or
• any other relevant organisation

The cost of a telephone rental for a basic telephone and telephone line rental costs (including wiring maintenance charges and mobile phone plans but excluding toll charges) can be included as an allowable cost for Temporary Additional Support where a telephone is an essential item for a family.

For example, a telephone may be essential to enable a client to be contacted by the school their children attend.

Note a client must provide verification of their special family circumstances to have the cost of a telephone included.

The cost of a mobile phone plan can be considered an allowable cost for Temporary Additional Support. This includes prepaid plans and account-based plans with regular instalments e.g. pay monthly plans.

The cost of purchasing a mobile phone through a plan is not included as an allowable cost for Temporary Additional Support. For example, paying for the phone in instalments.

If a client has a landline, then a mobile phone plan cannot be considered as an allowable cost. However, if the client does not have a landline, then a mobile phone plan may be considered as an allowable cost.

The maximum cost that can be included is the lowest amount to meet the client's needs. This should be no more than the cost of:

• a standard monthly landline rental in the client's local area or
• the cheapest mobile phone plan

whichever is cheaper.