Paying for more than 28 days - receive support from family overseas (young partner)

Generally, a benefit cannot be paid for more than 28 days in any 52 week period where the client is absent from New Zealand. However there are limited circumstances where a benefit can be paid for more than 28 days in a 52 week period where the young partner is travelling to receive support from a family member (including other person who is treated by the client as a member of the client's family) who is residing overseas.

For more information see:

• Definition of 'support' from a family member residing overseas

This applies (and is limited to a further 28 days in any 52 week period) when:

• the young partner has already been paid a benefit while absent from New Zealand for one or more approved reasons for all or most of 28 days in a 52 week period and
• the young partner will be absent from New Zealand for the purpose of obtaining support from a family member residing overseas and
• the support that the young partner needs cannot reasonably be provided to the client by one of their family members in New Zealand and
• the absence does not prevent the young partner from meeting their youth activity obligations because the absence is at a time when:
  • they are not required to attend education, training or work-based learning (for example, they are exempt from meeting their obligations)
  • they are not yet required to be undertaking education, training or work-based learning because of the age of their youngest child or
  • they are undertaking education or training but it is semester or term break or they are between academic years) or the course has not yet started and
  • they are not required to be in New Zealand to meet any of their other obligations during the time of the absence (eg they do not need to attend a parenting or budgeting course during the time they will be overseas)

The maximum amount of time a young partner can continue to receive their payment while overseas on the ground that the absence does not prevent them meeting their obligations is 28 days in any 52 week period.

Therefore, if a client subject to youth activity obligations has already received their payment for 28 days while they were overseas on a holiday on the grounds that the travel did not prevent them meeting their obligations, they will not be able to travel and continue to receive their payment under the 'obtaining support from a family member' circumstance.

For more information see:

• Examples of paying for more than 28 days for obtaining family support for young partners