Child comes into care

When a client has made an application to have another child included in their benefit and that child was in the care of another person the following information is required:

• full birth certificate of the child
  See: Verification from Internal Affairs
• written statement from the applicant stating they are the principal caregiver and requesting inclusion in the Supported Living Payment
• (where appropriate) letter from previous caregiver confirming that child has left their care
  Note where the client cannot get written confirmation from the previous caregiver, the new caring arrangement can be confirmed by a referee such as a teacher, Plunket nurse, minister or a Justice of the Peace.

Any benefit payments the previous caregiver was getting for the child must stop.

Include the child in the benefit from:

• the date the child came into the client's care or
• the date the Supported Living Payment was granted

whichever is the later.

When a client requests the backdated inclusion of a child and the previous caregiver was getting a benefit for the child, you will need to review when the child was excluded from the previous caregiver's benefit.

Generally, a child cannot be included in multiple benefits for the same period. In some situations, the previous caregiver may continue to get a benefit in respect of that child for up to 28 days.

Consider all the circumstances and decide whether a debt should be established for the previous caregiver.

If the date you are including the child from is a date in the previous tax year, MSD can only pay arrears of family tax credit and Best Start tax credit from the beginning of the current tax year, that is, 1 April. The client will need to apply for any arrears of tax credits before this date from Inland Revenue.

A review of entitlement needs to be completed to determine the amount of any benefit arrears owed to the client for the backdated period.