Child changes
The number of dependent children in a Jobseeker Support client's care and any change to the circumstance of a child can affect:
- their eligibility for benefit
- the basic rate of benefit payable
- the rate of family tax credit payable
- payment of Best Start tax credit
- the rate of extra help payable and
- the client's obligations
Including a child in Jobseeker Support
For a child to be included in a client's Jobseeker Support the child must be a dependent child and generally ordinarily resident in New Zealand.
When the child is not the client's natural or adoptive child, the client may be able to get an Unsupported Child's Benefit (instead of having the child included in their Jobseeker Support). This will mainly depend on the care arrangements.
Changes to a child's circumstances
Change to a dependent child's circumstances is generally going to affect the client's Jobseeker Support.
Child changes that affect young people aged 16 to 19
When a young person aged 16 to 19 has a child change, this can affect their Jobseeker Support.
If their last child leaves their care or stops being dependent, they must meet the Parental Assistance Test to continue getting Jobseeker Support. This includes when the client or their partner starts or stops getting one of these payments for a child:
- Foster Care Allowance
- Orphans Benefit
- Unsupported Childs Benefit
For more information see:
- Dependent child
- Effect on benefit
- Birth of a child
- Best Start tax credit Child turns 3
- Change in age
- Child absence from New Zealand
- Child applies for a benefit in its own right
- Child comes into care
- Child income
- Child leaves care
- Child leaves sole parents care suddenly
- Child leaves young person's care
- Child leaves school
- Child starts work
- Comes into care
- Carer arrangements
- Death of a child
- Financially independent
- Child in care of Oranga Tamariki
- Child Support Changes to liable parents situation
- Parents aged under 20 years old
- Gets a Student Allowance
- Gets a Student Loan
- Shared care
- Split care
- Temporary care
- Verification from Internal Affairs
- Core policy Ordinarily resident in New Zealand
