Ending payment for client who needs an approved reason to travel (within 28 day maximum)
Where the client is receiving their payments while they are absent from New Zealand because they have an approved travel reason their payments will suspend automatically on their agreed return date.
For example, a client has been approved travel to attend a job interview in Sydney. They are approved three days. The benefit will suspend automatically on the day they were meant to return.
Where the client is receiving their payments while they are absent from New Zealand because they have an approved travel reason and their return date changes, they must advise Work and Income from overseas, otherwise their payment will be stopped from the day they originally advised they would return to New Zealand.
Benefit can be backdated once back in New Zealand in very limited circumstances
They may be able to have their benefit backdated if there is an unforeseen reason they cannot notify us while they are overseas.
For example, a client boards a plane to return home on schedule and the plane is held up due to fog. There is no way the client could notify Work and Income due to an event outside of their control. When the client contacts Work and Income once they are back in New Zealand, the benefit would be resumed from the original date they were due to return (this will be on the boarding pass and/or in the custom tab in WASP).
For more information see:
Legislation
- Obligation to notify absence from New Zealand section 114 Social Security Act 2018
- General rule: benefit not payable while beneficiary absent from New Zealand section 219 Social Security Act 2018
- Regulations: factors affecting benefits: absence from New Zealand section 436 Social Security Act 2018
- Factors affecting benefits: absence from New Zealand Part 4, subpart 6 Social Security Regulations 2018
