Young partner with dependent child

Young partners aged 16 to 19 years old with a dependent child or children have the following activity obligations. They must:

• 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, participate in and complete an approved budgeting programme
• when required to, participate satisfactorily in an approved parenting education programme
• report to their service provider or Work and Income 'in-house' service on progress in meeting their education, parenting and budgeting obligations (above) as often as required
• when required to, attend and participate in regular budgeting discussions with their service provider or Work and Income 'in-house' service
• when required to, attend and participate in any interview with their service provider or Work and Income 'in-house' service
• when asked, provide within 20 working days, to their service provider or Work and Income 'in-house' service, details of the young person's accommodation costs, service costs and lawful debts or other liabilities
• co-operate with their service provider or Work and Income 'in-house' service in managing the spending of their benefit or portion of benefit and
• attend and participate in regular discussions on budgeting at any discussion, or when asked, provide details on their:
  • accommodation costs and service costs such as power and phone
  • lawful debts and liabilities
  • how they spent any in-hand allowance and any money credited to their payment card or any other device

A young partner with a dependent child or children also has the following obligations. They must:

• enrol their child with a Primary Health Organisation, where a local provider is available
• keep their child or children under the age of 5 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 obligations apply from the time the benefit is first paid except where the young partner is caring for a child aged under 12 months.

For more information see:

• Youngest dependent child is under 12 months

Generally, when a young partner with a dependent child or children turns 20 years old the youth activity obligations no longer apply. However, there are 2 situations where the obligations will continue to apply after they turn 20 years old.

These are where a young partner:

• is aged under 20 years when they first have youth activity obligations applied and must undertake Youth Activity obligations for a minimum of 6 months, even if they turn  20 years during this period
• chooses to continue to have youth activity obligations so they can remain in education, training or work-based learning

When a young partner with a dependent child or children reaches the age of 20 and has already had youth activity obligations for 6 months and does not choose to continue to have these obligations because they are not in education, training or work-based learning, the youth activity obligations no longer apply. Instead they will have the work or work preparation obligations applicable for their main benefit.

Generally, when a young partner turns 20 years old the obligations for them to comply with youth activity obligations will no longer apply. However, to give a young partner a chance to complete the qualification they have started while having Youth Activity obligations, a young partner can choose to continue to have youth activity obligations and continue to participate in the Youth Service after they turn 20 if they remain in education, training or work-based learning.

Attending secondary school

When a young partner reaches the age of 20 years and is attending secondary school they will continue to have Youth Activity obligations and continue to participate in the Youth Service until the following 31 March. For example, a young partner attending school who turns  20 years old in June will continue in the Youth Service until the following 31 March.

Attending tertiary education, training or work-based learning

When a young partner is attending tertiary education, training or work-based learning and they turn 20 years old, they may choose to continue to have youth activity obligations and participate in the Youth Service until the course finishes, unless their course ends in December. If their course ends in December, they will continue to have youth activity obligations and participate in the Youth Service until 31 March the following year.

Examples:

• a young partner is part-way through a training course when they turn 20 years old. The training course finishes on 20 November. The young partner will be exited from the Youth Service on 21 November
• a young partner is part-way through a training course when they turn 20 years old. The training course finishes on 20 December. The young partner will continue to have Youth Activity obligations and remain in the Youth Service until the following 31 March

A young partner who is aged under 20 years when they first have Youth Activity obligations applied must undertake these obligations for a minimum of 6 months, even if they turn 20 during this period.

This ensures that the young partner is able to have a reasonable chance to move towards a qualification by participating in education, training or work-based learning and other youth activity obligations before they focus on obligations attached to other main benefits.

For example, a young partner first has Youth Activity obligations applied at the age of 19 years and 8 months old. When they turn 20 years old they will need to continue to have these Youth Activity obligations and participate in the Youth Service for another 2 months to complete the 6 month minimum period. After this point, the Youth Activity obligations will no longer apply and instead they will have the work obligations applicable to main benefit (unless they choose to continue to have Youth Activity obligations because they are in education, training or work-based learning).

For more information see:

• Deciding education, training or work-based learning activities
• Approved budgeting programme activity
• Report to service provider or Work and Income on progress
• Money management activity
• Youth activity obligations failures
• Parenting obligations
• Work or work preparation obligations