Child changes

A client's eligibility for social housing may be affected when a child or dependent child leaves or come into their care. MSD must review their circumstances (this includes the birth or adoption of a child).

Examples of how child changes can affect eligibility include (but are not limited to):

• family composition and household type changes such as a single person becomes a sole parent
• an additional child may contribute to chronic overcrowding in current accommodation and increase housing need
• an additional child may have specific needs and requires certain modifications or an additional bedroom
• a change in the child's age may affect the rate of family tax credit payable and bedroom allocation
• a child turns 18, is no longer dependent and becomes a boarder may impact a bedroom allocation or indicative Income Related Rent

Following the birth of a child or a dependent child coming into care, the rate of Income Related Rent may need to be reviewed. The child would be included in the household type.

Note if the client or partner has other dependent children included in their care, this would not change the household type and therefore no review is required (although MSD should update the client's record).

A dependent child's personal earnings are not considered to be assessable income for the purposes of Income Related Rent.

The child is included in the household type, but their income is not included.

If a child aged 16 or older starts working full-time (an average of 30 hours or more each week) they would no longer be considered a dependent child.

When a child aged 16 or 17 leaves school, they can still be included in the household type if the child remains a dependent child.

If they become financially independent they will no longer be a dependent child and would be excluded from the household type.

When a child has come into a client’s care, MSD should consider if there are any care and protection concerns.

If MSD believes any child has been, or is likely to be harmed (physically, emotionally or sexually), ill-treated, abused, neglected, deprived or MSD has concerns about the wellbeing of the child, the case must be referred to Oranga Tamariki.

MSD staff must notify Oranga Tamariki if they are aware that the child’s sole caregiver has been remanded in custody and/or sentenced to a term of imprisonment.