Sole parents

When a sole parent client is imprisoned the Supported Living Payment will generally need to be cancelled.

Note the Supported Living Payment should be cancelled from the day following imprisonment.

You may need to find out who is caring for the client's children and the length of time the client is likely to be in prison. For Supported living Payment- caring for you may need to find out who is caring for the patient and, the client's children; and the length of time the client is likely to be in prison. The length of time in prison can be obtained by contacting the prison liaison officer at the Department of Corrections.

Generally, the caregiver will need to apply for financial assistance in their own right.

They may be entitled to:

• have the children included as dependent children in their current benefit
• Unsupported Childs Benefit
• Emergency Benefit Single and caring for a child or
• family tax credit and Best Start tax credit through Inland Revenue

There is discretion to pay all or part of the Supported Living Payment (health condition, injury or disability) to a temporary caregiver caring for the client's children. For Supported Living Payment (caring for a person), there is discretion to pay all or part of the Supported Living Payment to a temporary caregiver caring for the person and, the client's children.

There is also discretion to continue payment if the client is remanded in custody pending a further court appearance.

For more information to help you decide these cases see:

• Decision guidelines - sole parents
• Temporary caregiver
• Rate of payment - sole parents
• Examples - sole parents
• Remanded in custody