Imprisonment

Generally, when a Young Parent Payment client is imprisoned or detained in custody, they are no longer entitled to receive Young Parent Payment.

Young Parent Payment should stop from the day following the date of imprisonment.

The Youth Service Support Unit (YSSU) 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 Young Parent Payment can continue when the client is imprisoned.

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.