Contents
Emergency Benefit : Contents

Extra help for clients without citizenship or a residence class visa

Clients without New Zealand citizenship or a residence class visa do not qualify for:

  • Accommodation Supplement or
  • Disability Allowance or
  • Childcare Assistance

Any extra help a client may qualify for is determined by the reason they are in New Zealand.

Clients with refugee or protected person status

A client getting Emergency Benefit who has refugee or protected person status without New Zealand citizenship, a residence class visa or a temporary entry class visa may qualify for a Special Needs Grant for re-establishment costs and Temporary Additional Support.

Clients applying for refugee or protected person status

A client getting Emergency Benefit who has applied for refugee or protected person status and has a temporary entry class visa does not qualify for a Special Needs Grant for re-establishment costs. However, they may qualify for Temporary Additional Support.

Clients compelled to remain in New Zealand

A client getting Emergency Benefit who has applied for a residence class visa and who is compelled to remain in New Zealand due to unforeseen circumstances may qualify for Temporary Additional Support.

Family tax credit and Best Start tax credit

Emergency Benefit clients, including those who do not have New Zealand citizenship or a residence class visa, can get family tax credit and Best Start tax credit if they and their child/ren meet all the other eligibility criteria for these payments.

People getting Emergency Benefit automatically meet the other requirements of Family tax credit and Best Start tax credit if they have a dependent child in their care.

Family tax credit and Best Start tax credit are paid with their Emergency Benefit payment if they choose to get this from MSD.

For more information see:

Family tax credit
Best Start tax credit

Legislation

  • Emergency benefit: discretionary grant on ground of hardship section 63(5) Social Security Act 2018
  • Rates section 17 Social Security Act 2018
  • Disability allowance subpart 14 part 2, Social Security Act 2018
  • Goods or services, for beneficiaries or others, supplied by preferred suppliers section 368-371 Social Security Act 2018
  • MSD may refuse or cancel benefit if person not ordinarily resident in New Zealand section 204(1) Social Security Act 2018
  • Refugee or protected person status section 205 Social Security Act 2018
  • Payment of tax credit by chief executive section 80KN Tax Administration Act 1994
  • Best Start tax credit section MG 2 Income Tax Act 2007
  • Third requirement: residence or entitlement to emergency benefit section MC 5(1)(b) Income Tax Act 2007
Top

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 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 ...

A refugee means a person recognised under the Immigration Act 2009 as:

or

Legislation

A protected person under the Immigration Act 2009 means a person recognised as a protected person in New Zealand under the:

Legislation