Student loan : Contents
Dependent child for benefit purposes
Including a child in a benefit
A child can be included in a Social Security Act benefit if they are a dependent child.
A dependent child is a child who is:
- primarily the responsibility of the client
- maintained as a member of that family
- financially dependent on that client
- in the custody of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki but has been returned to their parent's care
A dependent child does not include a:
- child getting payments under section 363 of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989
- child for whom Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit is being paid and
- young person getting a Young Parent Payment and their child (see Dependent children, young parents and the child's parent or step parent examples)
Child living at home or away from home
Where the child lives (at home or away from home) may help determine if the client is a dependent child.
MSD should consider the following:
- why the child is living at/away from home and
- how permanent the arrangement is and
- what payments the client makes towards the child's care and everyday living expenses
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.
