Child leaves care
When a dependent child leaves the client's care, the child should be excluded from the start of the pay period following the date the child leaves care and any extra help the client gets should be reassessed to the appropriate rate where applicable.
Note different rules apply when a child stops being a dependent child of a sole parent client because of a sudden change of circumstances beyond the control of the client.
Family tax credit and Best Start tax credit
Family tax credit and Best Start tax credit should be stopped from the start of the pay period following the date the event took place, to avoid an overpayment with Inland Revenue for the client.
Young person aged 16 to 19 must meet Parental Assistance Test
When the last child of a young person aged 16 to 19 leaves their care, they must meet the Parental Assistance Test to keep getting Emergency Benefit equivalent to Jobseeker Support or Jobseeker Support Student Hardship. This includes a child the client or their partner got Foster Care Allowance, Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Childs Benefit for. MSD must review Emergency Benefit when this happens.
The Jobseeker Support and Jobseeker Support Student Hardship guidelines on reviewing benefit entitlement in this situation also apply to Emergency Benefit. The guidelines to follow depend on which one is the equivalent benefit.
For more information see:
- Jobseeker Support Child leaves young person's care
- Jobseeker Support Student Hardship Child leaves young person's care
- Parental Assistance Test for young people aged 16 to 19
- Absence from New Zealand Child absent
- Child comes into care
- Child leaves sole parents care suddenly
- Child not living at home
- Parent in prison
Legislation
- Ending of benefits part 6, section 325-330 Social Security Act 2018
- Emergency benefit: discretionary grant on ground of hardship section 63(2A) Social Security Act 2018
