Independent Assessment Provider

The Independent Assessment Provider is required to provide an assessment and recommendation to MSD for young people who have applied for Young Parent Payment because of:

• a family breakdown or
• other situations where the young person cannot expect financial support from parents due to another good and sufficient reason (where appropriate)
• unable to get financial support (where appropriate) from parents

In all cases the Independent Assessment Provider will invite the parents/caregivers to discuss the application. Consent is not required from the applicant as the Social Security Act 2018 allows MSD to investigate a claim for benefit.

If the applicant refuses to allow their parents to be interviewed without a satisfactory reason and there is not sufficient information to grant the benefit, MSD must decline the application.

The parent's invitation can be made by phone but must be followed up with a letter. When the parents/caregivers cannot be reached and do not make contact a further attempt must be made. Where the parents/caregivers still do not make contact or refuse to participate in the assessment other significant family members, adults or community groups (for example school counsellors) will be contacted.

The Independent Assessment Provider will detail all contact and attempts at contact in the Young Parent Payment assessment report.

Exception where the young person's parents are absent or there are care and protection concerns an assessment is not required. When a young person has been discharged from Oranga Tamariki or other authorised agency care they do not require an Independent Assessment. This is because the relationship breakdown has already been established by Oranga Tamariki.

MSD determines eligibility for Young Parent Payment using information in the assessment report and the recommendation of the Independent Assessment Provider.

If MSD has concerns about the recommendations made by the Independent Assessment Provider, these should be discussed with them.

The Young Parent Payment assessment report generally contains sensitive information that has been shared by the parties in confidence.

If one of those parties (i.e., a parent or guardian) requests a copy of the report, they may be able to access information about themselves in the report. MSD should take care to protect the other parties, particularly the young person who the report is about, and in some circumstances, it may be appropriate to withhold the information requested.

If it is unclear whether to withhold some or all of the report, contact the Information Privacy and Sharing team [no link find out why] .

When considering whether a family breakdown has occurred it is important to consider any possible care and protection concerns for a child or young person.

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.