Additional conditions of grant for 16 to 19 year old's

Sole parents aged 16 to 19 years may need to meet additional conditions of grant before you can grant Emergency Maintenance Allowance.

Young people getting Emergency Maintenance Allowance must advise of any change in circumstances that affect their entitlement or rate of benefit payable.

They also may be required to be:

• enrolled in and undertaking, or be available for, a full-time course of secondary or tertiary education, or approved training or work-based learning leading to a NCEA level 2 qualification or an equivalent or higher qualification
• when required to, attend and participate in any interview with Work and Income (or their Youth Service provider) to discuss their circumstances
• when required to, participate in and complete an approved budgeting programme
• when required to, participate satisfactorily in an approved parenting education programme
• enrol their child with a Primary Health Organisation, where a local provider is available
• keep their child or children under the age of five years up-to-date with their Well Child/Tamariki Ora checks
• ensure their child's attendance at an approved Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme or other suitable childcare, while they are participating in education, training, work-based learning or part-time work

These conditions of grant apply from the time Emergency Maintenance Allowance is first paid except where the young person is caring for a child aged under 12 months. Where the young person is caring for a child under the age of 12 months, the obligation to be in or available for full-time education, training or work-based learning begins to apply:

• when their youngest child is aged between six and twelve months and there is no suitable place available in a Teen Parent Unit or there is a suitable place available but there are special circumstances to justify the obligation applying later

or

• the day on which the child becomes 12 months old

If you think that a client has circumstances that mean they will not be able to meet some or all of their conditions of grant, you should:

• check the reasons that clients getting Young Parent Payment can be exempt from meeting their youth activity obligations
• note the client's circumstances in CMS

For more information see:

• Young Parent Payment Table of Exemptions

At the time of grant you must advise the client if these additional conditions apply.