Absences that do not prevent client from meeting obligations

Generally, a client receiving Youth Payment who has youth activity obligations cannot be absent from New Zealand and continue to be paid a benefit unless:

• it is for one of (or a combination of) the permitted travel reasons or
• the travel will not prevent them from continuing to meet their youth activity obligations (eg because they are attending school and the travel is during the school holidays or they are attending a training course and the travel is during a term or semester break, and they do not need to be in New Zealand to meet any of their other obligations during the travel period)

Note the Youth Service Support Unit will determine whether the young person meets the criteria to continue to be paid their benefit while they are absent from New Zealand based on a recommendation from the young person's service provider.

Young people receiving Youth Payment can continue to be paid a benefit for a maximum of up to 28 days in any 52 week period while they are absent from New Zealand on the grounds that the travel will not prevent them from meeting their obligations.

For example, if a Youth Payment client has already received their payment for two weeks while they were overseas because the travel did not prevent them from meeting their obligations, they will only be able to continue to receive their payment for this reason, for two additional weeks in the same 52 week period.

For more information see:

• Client meeting their youth activity obligations
• Young people who are exempt from their youth activity obligations