Imprisonment
Generally, when a Jobseeker Support Student Hardship client is imprisoned or detained in custody, they are no longer entitled to receive the Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.
Jobseeker Support Student Hardship should stop from the day following the date of imprisonment.
MSD must decide whether to suspend or cancel the benefit after considering the likely period in prison and whether the client has a partner and or dependent children.
In some circumstances Jobseeker Support Student Hardship can continue when the client is imprisoned.
Care and protection concerns
If a sole caregiver is remanded in custody and/or sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the case must be referred to Oranga Tamariki.
In other situations, 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.
For more information see:
Legislation
- Jobseeker support: discretionary grant on ground of hardship section 25 Social Security Act 2018
- Benefit not payable during custody in prison or on remand section 217 Social Security Act 2018
- Exceptions to rule that benefit not payable during custody in prison or on remand section 218 Social Security Act 2018
