A-Z benefits

We are here to help if you need it. If you're struggling to support yourself or your family, please contact us. We can often help. It is better to contact us before you apply for assistance. That way we can learn about your circumstances and talk to you about the types of assistance you might get.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Accommodation Supplement

A weekly payment which helps people with their rent, board or the cost of owning a home.

Advance Payment of Benefit

If you are getting a benefit and have an immediate need for something essential you may be able to get an advance payment of your benefit.

Away from Home Allowance

A weekly payment which helps carers with the living costs for 16 or 17 year olds who are living away from home while on a tertiary or training course.

B

Business Training and Advice Grant

A grant which helps people getting government assistance who want to start up their own business.

C

Child Disability Allowance

A fortnightly payment made to the main carer of a child or young person with a serious disability.

Childcare Subsidy

A payment that helps families with the cost of pre-school childcare.

Civil Defence Payment

A payment for people who have been evacuated due to a civil defence emergency to help with the costs for accommodation food, bedding and clothing.

Civilian Amputee Assistance

Help for amputees, or those born without a limb(s), with travel and/or accommodation costs if they need to go to an Artificial Limb Centre.

Community Costs

A weekly payment which helps people in a short-term residential treatment programme meet their essential ongoing costs in the community.

Community Services Card

The Community Services Card can help you and your family with the costs of health care.

Course Participation Assistance

Help for people who are attending short-term employment-related training courses (normally less than 12 weeks).

D

Disability Allowance

A weekly payment for people who have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability, such as visits to the doctor or hospital, medicines, extra clothing or travel.

Domestic Purposes Benefit - Care of Sick or Infirm

A weekly payment which helps people who are caring for someone at home who needs full-time care.

Domestic Purposes Benefit - Sole Parent

A weekly payment which helps sole parents with one or more dependent children.

Domestic Purposes Benefit - Women Alone

A weekly payment which helps women over 50 who have lost the support of their partner or finished caring for a child or sick relative.

Domestic Purposes Benefit Sole Parent Study Assistance Loan

Extra recoverable assistance is available for clients who are receiving Domestic Purposes Benefit Sole Parent and who are undertaking study at level 4 or above.

E

Early Learning Payment

A payment which with the costs of Early Childhood Education for children aged 18 months to three years who are from families enrolled in selected Family Start or Early Start Programmes.

Employment Transition Grant

A weekly payment which helps some people who have completed an Invalids Benefit employment trial.

F

Flexi wage

Flexi-Wage helps people getting government assistance who want to start up their own business.

Funeral Grant

Help with some of the funeral costs of someone close to you who has died.

G

Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment

If you are under 19 and have a child under five, and are in education, training or work-based learning, you may be able to get the Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment (GCAP) to assist with the cost of childcare

H

Home Help

A payment which helps carers or parents with things like laundry, housework, cooking, childcare or parenting skills.

I

Invalid's Benefit

A weekly payment which helps people who are severely limited in how much work they can do.

L

Live Organ Donor Assistance

A payment which helps people who are donating a kidney or liver tissue for transplant within New Zealand with loss of income and/or childcare costs.

Living Alone Payment

An ongoing extra payment on top of your NZ Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension, when you maintain a household on your own.

M

Modification Grant

A payment which helps people with disabilities pay for workplace changes or equipment that makes it easier for them to stay in or get work.

N

New Employment Transition Grant

A payment which helps people who are no longer on a benefit and who can't work because of sickness or a breakdown in childcare arrangements.

New Zealand Superannuation

New Zealand Superannuation is a fortnightly payment for people aged 65 and over.

O

Orphan's Benefit

A weekly payment which helps carers supporting a child or young person whose parents have died or can't be found, or cant look after them because they have a long-term illness or incapacity.

Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy

A payment which helps families with the costs of before- and after-school programmes, and school holiday programmes.

R

Re-establishment grant (Special Needs Grant)

The Special Needs Grant - Re-establishment grant is a payment to help people in specific circumstances re-establish themselves in the community.

Recoverable Assistance Payment Grant

A payment which helps people pay for something they need urgently when they have no other way of paying for it.

Residential Care Loan

Many people going into residential care want to keep their home.

Residential Care Subsidy

If you need long-term residential care in a hospital or rest home, you may be able to get a Residential Care Subsidy from the Ministry of Health.

S

Seasonal Work Assistance

Seasonal Work Assistance helps seasonal workers who are no longer getting a benefit and have lost wages because of work missed due to bad weather.

Sickness Benefit

Sickness Benefit is a weekly payment which helps people who arent currently working, or are working less hours, because they are sick, injured, disabled or pregnant.

Social Rehabilitation Assistance

Social Rehabilitation Assistance is a payment which helps people who are in a residential social rehabilitation programme and their benefit isn’t enough to meet the fees.

Special Disability Allowance

A weekly payment for people who have a spouse or partner who is in a hospital or rest home (for at least 13 weeks) or who is getting a Residential Care Subsidy.

Special Needs Grant

A payment which helps people in certain circumstances to pay for something when they have no other way of paying for it.

Special Needs Grant International Custody Dispute Payment

A weekly payment for parents with limited financial support who are involved in an international custody or access dispute over the care of their children.

Special Needs Grant Long Acting Reversible Contraception

A Special Needs Grant is available to help with the additional costs of accessing long-acting reversible contraception (including removal)

T

Temporary Additional Support

A weekly payment which helps someone who can't meet their essential living costs from what they earn or from other sources.

Training Incentive Allowance

An allowance which helps people with some employment-related training costs.

Transition to Work Grant

A payment which helps people with the costs of moving into a job.

U

Unemployment Benefit

A weekly payment which helps people who are looking for work or training for work.

Unsupported Child's Benefit

A weekly payment which helps carers supporting a child or young person whose parents can't care for them because of a family breakdown.

V

Veterans Pension

Veterans Pension is a fortnightly payment for veterans who have served in a war or other emergency, and have a disability.

W

Widow's Benefit

A weekly payment which helps women whose husbands or partners have died.

Working for Families

A package designed to make it easier to work and raise a family.

Y

Young Parent Payment

Young Parent Payment is a weekly payment which helps young parents aged 16-18 year olds

Youth Payment

Youth Payment is a weekly payment which helps young people aged 16 or 17 who can't live with their parents or guardian and aren't supported by them or anyone else