Contents
Supported Living Payment : Contents

Deciding Supported Living Payment using existing assessments

For MSD to decide a client's eligibility to Supported Living Payment, the client needs to provide:

For more information see:

MSD can consider granting Supported Living Payment from existing assessments if MSD is satisfied that the information contained in the report or in its records confirms the client meets the medical criteria for Supported Living Payment.

Deciding permanence and severity of client's illness or impairment

For MSD to grant Supported Living Payment, MSD needs to be satisfied from the information available that the client is:

  • both permanently and severely restricted in their capacity for work because of a health condition, or an injury, or a disability, from an accident, or condition they have had since birth or
  • totally blind

Note totally blind and legally blind are not the same.

If the information MSD has confirms the client meets the criteria, MSD can consider granting Supported Living Payment.

If MSD is not satisfied by the information provided that eligibility is clear, or thinks the client may be given simplified access to Supported Living Payment, seek advice from the Regional Health Advisor or Regional Disability Advisor [no link find out why] .

For more information see:

Who is most likely to have existing assessments?

Many clients will have been assessed by a range of registered health practitioners throughout the duration of their illness or disability.

Using the information already available can make the process of applying for Supported Living Payment easier for the client.

Situation

Types of Existing Assessments

The client is totally blind

Specialist report from an ophthalmologist or optometrist

The client is terminally ill

Specialist report (e.g. oncologist or palliative care physician).

Written confirmation from client's registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist (where relevant)

The client is deaf or hearing impaired

NASC report (Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination report)

Specialist reports

The client has severe physical disabilities (tetraplegia, paraplegia, spina bifida, cerebral palsy)

NASC report

Specialist reports

The client has long standing, severe ill health (chronic arthritis, stroke, chronic health failure, cystic fibrosis)

NASC report

Specialist reports

The client is 16 years or older and is applying for Supported Living Payment and is still at school or has recently left school

Special education reports

Child Disability Allowance assessment Specialist report

NASC report

Types of existing assessments

The client might have 1 of the following existing assessments that MSD could use to decide their eligibility to Supported Living Payment:

These existing assessments are likely to be unformatted, in the form of letters or a written report and may not present advice in a way that allows MSD to easily decide medical eligibility for Supported Living Payment.

MSD should consider a range of factors when assessing a client's eligibility for Supported Living Payment, including:

  • all the information available to MSD
  • the age of the assessments
  • if the client will need to be medically reassessed while on Supported Living Payment
  • if the client needs help obtaining existing assessments

For more information see:

Legislation

  • Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness: requirements section 34-36 Social Security Act 2018
  • Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness: medical examination section 37 Social Security Act 2018
Top

A medical practitioner is commonly referred to as a doctor. Medical practitioners are health practitioners who are registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand as practitioners of the profession of medicine and hold a current practising certificate.

All medical practitioners have a unique identifying number called a Health Practitioners Index number (HPI number).

Medical practitioners don't need to have completed their training in New Zealand but must be registered with the New Zealand ...

Nurse practitioners are health practitioners who are registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and hold a current annual practising certificate.

Nurse practitioners are expert or specialist nurses with advanced education, clinical training and experience. They have demonstrated clinical competence and have the legal authority to practice as independent healthcare providers.

All nurse practitioners have a unique identifying number called a Health Practitioners Index number (HPI number).

Some nurse practitioners have specialised ...

An optometrist is a health practitioner who specialises in vision care and is trained to detect, measure and correct vision problems.

A psychologist is a health practitioner who is registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 and with the New Zealand Psychologists Board. Psychologists are concerned with the study of behaviour.

Psychologists must be listed on the New Zealand Psychologists Board's Register and hold a current practising certificate.

Psychology is a broad field of practice and research which applies psychological principles to:

Permanent means the health condition, injury or disability your client has is expected to continue for at least 2 years. Your client's health condition, injury or disability is also considered permanent when they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness (where your client is not expected to live for more than 2 years).

Severely means that your client cannot regularly work 15 hours or more per week in open employment.

An ophthalmologist is medical specialist who deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eye, brain, and areas surrounding the eye.