Full-time employment

If a primary client commences full-time employment, they will no longer qualify for Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.

Jobseeker Support Student Hardship should be stopped from the date the client commences full-time employment.

When a client commences full-time employment they may qualify for Extra Help as a non-beneficiary, such as:

• Accommodation Supplement
• Disability Allowance
• Seasonal Work Assistance
• Transition to Work Grant [no link find out why] - Doogle
• Working for Families Tax Credits from Inland Revenue or
• Childcare Assistance Programme

Note if the client has outstanding debt when their benefit is cancelled, MSD is responsible for arranging repayments with the client. If a client is cancelling their benefit to commence full-time employment, their debt recovery can be suspended for a 3 month period provided the client remains in employment.

However, MSD can accept repayments if the client wishes to start paying the outstanding debt straight away.

For more information see:

• Debt recovery suspension [no link find out why]
• Arranging repayments at cancellation

To determine whether the benefit should be suspended or cancelled when a client commences full-time employment see:

• Guidelines for suspension or cancellation

If the person who has commenced full-time employment is the partner, then the Jobseeker Support Student Hardship can continue with the partner's earnings being charged as income against the benefit.

This is regardless of whether the partner is subject to work obligations.

Note if the partner has full-time work obligations and is working 30 hours per week or has part-time work obligations and is working 20 hours or more, then they will be meeting their work obligations.

For more information see:

• Treatment of income
• Charging income
• Income stops
• Employment related income