Civil Defence Payment
A Civil Defence payment helps people, who have been evacuated due to a civil defence emergency, with costs for accommodation, food, bedding, clothing and loss of income.
Who can get it
You may get a Civil Defence payment if you:
- live in an area where a civil defence emergency has been declared
- have been required to leave your home because of the emergency (you have been evacuated) or were away from your home at the time of the emergency and can’t return to your home due to the emergency.
It also depends on you not being able to cover your costs from either:
- insurance (or you haven’t been paid yet)
- access to other aid (such as public donations or other government or charitable relief funds).
You must also be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident who normally lives in New Zealand and intends to stay here.
In most cases it doesn’t matter what you earn or own and Civil Defence payments don’t usually affect other benefits.
Payments for accommodation costs can’t be made where suitable free accommodation is available or where a person is reasonably able to return to their home but chooses not to do so.
Providers of accommodation to evacuees may be reimbursed for some of the evacuee’s accommodation costs.
This information is a guide only. Contact us to talk about your individual circumstances. Even if you can’t get a Civil Defence payment, you may be able to get other help.
In exceptional circumstances, you may be able to get more than the maximum rate.
How to apply
Contact us to talk about your circumstances and we’ll explain how to apply. We’ll normally arrange a meeting with you and will tell you what you need to bring.
We appreciate that in an emergency it may not be possible to immediately provide all the information we would normally want. We will make allowances for this.
You can download a claims form below:
Civil Defence Payments to Evacuees (PDF 89.84KB)
For people who have been evacuated due to a civil defence emergency.
Adverse Event – Payments to hosts for accommodation (PDF 117.58KB)
For those providing temporary accommodation for people in an adverse event, including a Civil Defence emergency.