Domestic Purposes Benefit - Care of Sick or Infirm
Domestic Purposes Benefit - Care of Sick or Infirm is a weekly payment which helps people who are caring for someone at home who needs full-time care.
Who can get it
You may get the Domestic Purposes Benefit - Care of Sick or Infirm if you are caring for someone at home and this person:
- needs full-time care
- is not your spouse or partner
- would otherwise need hospital care, rest home care, residential disability care, extended care services for severely disabled children and young people, or care of a similar kind.
If you're a parent who needs to provide full-time care and attention at home for your high needs dependant child you may be able to get this benefit.
You must:
- be over 16 years old
- 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 you are a refugee).
You should also normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
If you are 16 or 17 years old there must be no other carer reasonably available.
Retrospective (backdated) payments
If you have been caring for a dependant child, and any previous application for financial assistance was declined, you can apply for a retrospective (backdated) Domestic Purposes Benefit - Care of Sick or Infirm.
For more information about getting this benefit retrospectively, please read our factsheet or contact us.
For more information
The information provided in this page is a guide only. Please contact us to talk about your individual circumstances.
If you'd like more information please download our brochure or read our manuals and procedures:
Are you a carer? (PDF 90.41KB)
Financial assistance when you're caring for someone else.
How to apply
If you’re aged 16 to 64, you need to:
- complete an application form
- meet us to provide the necessary supporting documents.
If this isn’t you, contact us about applying.
How long do I have to complete my application?
You have 20 working days from when you first contacted us (submitting your online application form counts as contacting us). You'll need to provide us with any supporting documentation required for your application within this time. If you don't do this, you may have to reapply.
If you can't complete your application within 20 working days for any reason, please contact us.
Retrospective applications
If you want to apply for retrospective payments, please fill out the Carer Statement (stage 1 in the assessment process for retrospective applications).