Financial assistance for carers: Domestic Purposes Benefit – Care of Sick or Infirm
The Domestic Purposes Benefit – Care of Sick or Infirm (DPB-CSI) provides financial assistance for people who are caring full-time at home for someone (other than their spouse or partner) who, if they were not being cared for at home, would otherwise need either:
- rest home care
- residential disability care
- extended care services for severely disabled children and young people (this refers to only those services facilitated by Child, Youth and Family under Section 141 of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989).
- hospital care (in-patient or residential hospital care)
- care equivalent to any of these kinds of care.
This is paid in recognition of the impact that providing full-time care and attention can have on a carer’s ability to work.
There is an income limit for this assistance. Income is calculated based on the income of the carer and their spouse or partner (if in a civil union or de facto relationship), as applicable.
Who qualifies?
Carer
To qualify for this benefit, the carer must:
- be over 16 years old (if the carer is 16 or 17 years old, there must be no other carer reasonably available)
- be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- have lived in New Zealand for at least 2 years at any one time since becoming a New Zealand citizen or resident (unless a refugee)
- usually live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
The carer can be providing care and attention for another person of any age and does not have to be related to the supported person.
Supported person
The supported person must:
- be cared for at home
- need full-time care and attention
- not be the spouse or partner of the carer
- otherwise need rest home care, residential disability care, extended care services for severely disabled children and young people, hospital care or care of a similar kind.
Full-time care and attention
Full-time care and attention means that the person will require 24-hour access to care and attention. This does not mean the carer is expected to give 24-hour care, but they must be available if required. The level of care and attention must be over and above the ordinary care and attention required by someone of the same age.
A carer can be away from the home for a few hours a day, and still be considered to be providing full-time care, if arrangements are made for the supported person’s care and their safety is not compromised. The carer’s absence could be for a number of reasons including part-time employment or study.
The carer must provide the care and attention at home. The home can be that of the supported person or of the carer.
‘Care and attention’ is the terminology used in the Social Security Act (1964) which sets out the criteria for this assistance.
Caring for a spouse or partner
A person caring at home for their spouse or partner (in a civil union or de facto relationship) is not eligible for this benefit.
In these circumstances, the supported person and their partner may qualify for a benefit in their own right. This may include the Invalid’s Benefit or New Zealand Superannuation, and the carer could receive financial support as a partner.
