Skip to main content
background pattern
Work and income | Te Hiranga Tangata
  • Employers
  • Providers
  • Go to MyMSD login
  • Work homepage

    • Overview

      We can help you get ready to apply and find the right job for you. We can even help you while you're working.

    • Get ready to work

      You can get training, help with CVs and cover letters, and advice for job interviews.

    • Find jobs

      Find out what jobs are available, which job is best for you and how you can plan your career.

    • Working

      Whether you've just started a job or need some help at work, we've got your back.

    • Lost your job

      We'll help you get ready to find a new job and support you while you're between jobs.

    • Start your own business

      Get help to plan and set up a successful business or be a self-employed contractor.

  • Benefits and payments homepage

    • Overview

      Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.

    • Not working

      Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work

    • Living expenses

      Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with

    • Relationship changes

      You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end

    • Health and Disability

      Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with

    • Seniors

      Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors

    • Caring

      Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability

    • Urgent or unexpected costs

      Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with

    • Children

      Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children

    • Moving to New Zealand

      Payments you can get from us, settling into NZ, overseas pensions and more.

    • Benefits and forms

      A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates

  • On a benefit homepage

    • Overview

      Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.

    • Something's changed

      Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.

    • Income

      Declare income and income deduction tables

    • Childcare

      Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information

    • Going overseas

      Travelling or moving overseas may affect your payments.

    • Re-apply, review or renew

      Re-apply for a payment, review circumstances, renew medical certificate and more

    • Payments

      Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information

    • Debt

      Check your debt, repayments and other debt information

    • Rights and responsibilities

      Our commitment to you,  obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more

  • Housing homepage

    • Overview

      Find out how we can help you with housing.

    • Nowhere to stay

      Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.

    • Find a house

      Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.

    • Living in your home

      Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.

    • Moving house

      Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.

    • Other languages

      Read some of our housing information in other languages.

  • Go to the Work and Income home page
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
  • MyMSD login
  • Online Services
    • Apply online
    • Apply for NZ Super
    • MyMSD
    • Check what you might get
    • Kimi Mahi Mai - Find a Job
    • List a job vacancy
    • Help with online services
  • Work
    • Get ready to work
    • Find jobs
    • Working
    • Lost your job
    • Start your own business
  • Benefits and payments
    • Carers
      • Caring for someone with a health condition, injury or disability
      • Caring for a child with a disability
      • Caring for someone else's child
    • Children
      • Childcare
      • Having a baby
      • School costs
      • Caring for someone else's child
    • Emergencies
      • Civil Defence Payment
      • Rural Assistance Payment
      • Enhanced Taskforce Green
    • Health and disability
      • Vehicle modification
      • Contraception
      • Counselling
      • Dental treatment
      • Glasses
      • House modification
      • Medical alarms
      • Prescriptions and health practitioner costs
      • Residential care
      • Travel costs
    • Living expenses
      • Heating and power bills
      • Managing your money
      • Public transport fares
    • You're not working
      • Redundancy
      • Health condition or disability
      • Fired or left
      • Deported to NZ
      • Released from prison
    • Relationships
      • Break-up
      • Family breakdown
      • Violent relationships
    • Seniors
      • Find out if you can get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
      • NZ Superannuation
      • Veteran's Pension
      • SuperGold Card
      • Other payments
    • Urgent costs
      • Food
      • Accommodation
      • Power, gas and water bills or heating
      • Dental treatment
      • Glasses
      • Whiteware
      • Medical costs
      • House repairs and maintenance
      • Car repairs
      • Bereavement
      • Fire or theft
    • Moving to NZ
      • Overseas pensions
  • On a benefit
    • Changes and income
      • Income
      • Change housing details
      • Relationships
      • Change bank account
      • Child enters or leaves your care
      • Change contact details
    • Going overseas
      • On a benefit
      • NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
    • Re-apply, review or renew
      • Re-apply for Jobseeker Support
      • Re-apply for Sole Parent Support
      • Re-apply for TAS
      • Renew medical certificate or information
      • Review of circumstances and annual income
    • Obligations
      • Jobseeker Support obligations
      • Supported Living Payment obligations
      • Sole Parent Support obligations
      • When you don’t meet your obligations
    • Payments
      • Check your payments
      • Changes to your payments
      • Money management for youth clients
      • Stop your payments
      • Stop your childcare payments
      • Payment cards
    • Debt
      • Repay debt while on benefit or pension
      • Repay debt if not on benefit or pension
    • Childcare
      • Change in circumstances
      • Continuing pre-school childcare
      • Continuing childcare when your child's at school
      • Stop childcare
      • Childcare absences
      • Move to OSCAR
      • Extending childcare
    • Having another child
    • Arrest warrants
    • Your rights and responsibilities
      • Your obligations
      • Have someone act on your behalf
      • Fraud and investigations
      • Our commitment to you
  • Housing
    • Nowhere to stay
      • Emergency housing
      • Escaping family violence
      • Leaving prison
    • Find a house
      • Who can get public housing
      • Apply for public housing
      • Waiting for public housing
      • Accepting a public housing offer
    • Living in your home
      • Housing costs
      • Living in public housing
      • Staying in emergency housing
    • Moving house
      • Bond Grant
      • Accommodation Security Cover Grant
      • Accommodation Costs in Advance Grant
      • Moving Costs Grant
      • Tenancy Costs Cover
      • Transition to Alternative Housing Grant
      • Transfer to another public housing property
    • Other languages
  • Benefits, rates and forms
    • A-Z benefits
    • Benefit rates
    • Forms
    • Income and cash asset limits
  • Providers
    • Housing providers
      • Property owners and landlords
      • Emergency housing suppliers
      • Transitional housing providers
      • Public housing providers
    • Getting payments from us
      • Register as a supplier
      • Ways you can be paid
      • Manage your supplier details
      • Refund money you owe
    • Activity in the Community projects
    • Health and disability practitioners
      • Guides and forms
      • Roles
      • Assisting people into work
      • Medical certificates
      • Health and disability related benefits
      • Designated health practitioners second opinions
      • Medical appeals
    • Childcare assistance
      • Registering your childcare service
      • Become an approved OSCAR provider
      • How we can help you
      • Tell us when things change
      • Payment schedules
      • Contacting us if you're a childcare or OSCAR provider
    • Advocates
    • Employment and training providers
    • Forms
  • About Work and Income
    • Contact us
      • Phone us
      • Our locations
      • International Services
      • Overseas pension agencies
      • Veterans' contacts
      • Deaf, hard of hearing, speech impairment
      • Other languages
      • Service Express
      • Report a suspected fraud
    • Our services
      • Our commitment to you
      • Cheap as data
      • Documents to provide when you apply
      • Appointments
      • About International Services
      • Words we use
      • Become a contracted provider
      • Information for trespassed clients
    • Our privacy notice
      • Collecting your information
      • Using your information
      • Sharing your information
      • Respecting your information
      • Managing your information
    • Feedback and complaints
      • Making a complaint
      • Review of a decision
      • Review of a medical decision
      • Online surveys
    • News
    • Careers at Work and Income
  • About this site
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy, disclaimer and copyright information
    • Online security
  • Employers
    • Recruitment
      • List a vacancy
      • Hire an LSV graduate
      • Hire disabled people or people with health conditions
      • Shortlisting
      • Pre-employment drug testing
      • Make an employment offer
      • Hiring migrant workers
    • Extra support and training
      • Flexi-wage
      • Apprenticeship Boost
      • Mana in Mahi
      • Skills for Industry
      • Support once your employee starts work
      • Mainstream programmes
      • Modifications to your workplace
    • Industry partnerships
    • Redundancy support
    • Emergencies and adverse events
    • Employee debt
  1. Home
  2. On a benefit
  3. Obligations
  4. Jobseeker Support obligations

WARNING: Your device is running Android version 7 or below. From September, you may experience issues accessing our website. We recommend using the Firefox browser.

On a benefit

  • Changes and income
  • Going overseas
  • Re-apply, review or renew
  • Obligations
    • Jobseeker Support obligations
    • Supported Living Payment obligations
    • Sole Parent Support obligations
    • When you don’t meet your obligations
  • Payments
  • Debt
  • Childcare
  • Having another child
  • Arrest warrants
  • Your rights and responsibilities

Jobseeker Support obligations

There are things you need to do when you're getting a Jobseeker Support benefit. These are called obligations. If you don't do them, your benefit could reduce or stop.

Overview of your obligations

  • You have an obligation to find or prepare for work – this means you must:
    • look for full-time work, or
    • look for part-time work, if you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can only work part-time, or
    • prepare for work, if you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can’t work or can only work less than 15 hours a week.
  • You have an obligation to tell us if something changes.
  • If you're taking care of dependent children, you have social obligations.
  • If we ask you to, you have an obligation to take part in a Work Ability Assessment or to work with a contracted service provider. 

These obligations are detailed on this page below.

Information

If you have a partner there are things they'll need to do as well.

Jobseeker Support obligations for partners

Obligations in detail

Select the relevant heading below to find out more about each obligation.

Work-related obligations and the traffic light system
View transcript of 'Work-related obligations and the traffic light system' video

Narrator [0:02] "If you're getting Jobseeker Support, you might have heard the phrases 'work obligations' and 'traffic light system'. And you're probably wondering 'what are those?'.
[Woman smiles and points to 2 phrases. A speech bubbles appears with the words "What are those?" in it.]

Narrator [0:11] "To meet your work-related obligations, you have to do things like be available and looking for full or part-time work"
[Man talks to a group of people at a Kōrero Mahi seminar. The words "1. What to do?" are next to tick boxes for "Full-time" and "Part-time", and the cursor ticks them both, alongside photo of a job listing on the Kimi Mahi Mai website]

Narrator [0:18] "Take reasonable steps to get a suitable job like writing a CV and applying for jobs"
[The words "2. Take reasonable steps to get a suitable job" are shown, then a laptop with a draft CV on it, and someone using a laptop to search for jobs on the Kimi Mahi Mai - Find a Job website]

Narrator [0:25] "Work with us to plan your job search and do activities we refer you to"
[The words "3. Work with us to plan your job search" and 2 woman sitting at a desk and talking. A man standing and talking to a group in a Kōrero Mahi seminar]

Narrator [0:29] "like seminars, training courses, work experience or work assessments."
[Man talks to a group of people at a Kōrero Mahi seminar, and the word "Seminars" appears. A woman points to information on a wall, and the words "Training courses" appear. A woman sits at desk and smiles, and the words "Work experience" appear. A man and a woman sit at a table and talk, and the words "Work assessment" appear]

Narrator [0:35] "Meet with our case managers and tell us how your job search is going and what you've been doing to find and prepare for work."
[The words "4. Meet with our case managers" and a man smiling and waving. People sitting at desks in a Work and Income office, and the words "Tell us how your job search is going", zooming in on 2 men talking, and the words "Find and prepare for work"]

Narrator [0:43] "Go to job interviews and accept any offer of suitable work"
[The words "5. Go to job interviews and accept any offer of suitable work", and a woman holding paper and talking to another person]

Narrator [0:47] "Take and pass any pre-employment drug tests your potential employer or training provider asks for."
[An animation of a urine drug test cup, the words "6. Pre-employment tests", and the cursor ticks 3 boxes with lines next to them]

Narrator [0:53] "You may need to attend a workability assessment"
[The words "Work ability assessment" with 4 lines under with ticks next to them]

Narrator [0:56] "and you may need to take part in activities with our service providers to find a job or prepare for work."
[2 icons representing people, using speech bubbles to show a conversation, with the last speech bubble showing a smiley face]

Narrator [1:04] "There's a full list of obligations on our website"
[A laptop with the Work and Income website open on it, with a web page about obligations]

Narrator [1:07] "So that's what work-related obligations are. Now back to the traffic light system."
[The words "Work-related obligations" and a box next to it that the cursor ticks. 3 circles, in green, orange and red, with the words "Traffic light system"]

Narrator [1:13] "The traffic light system is an easy way to help you stay on track with some of your obligations."
[3 circles, in green, orange and red]

Narrator [1:18] "If you're at Green you're on track and meeting your obligations."
[3 circles, in green, orange and red. The cursor clicks on the green circle, which turns a darker green and a tick appears next to it]

Narrator [1:22] "If you don't meet one of your obligations and you don't have a good reason, you'll move to Orange. This means you need to contact us straight away."
[3 circles, in green, orange and red. The words "don't meet one of your obligations" appear. The cursor clicks on the orange circle, which turns a darker orange, and an exclamation mark appears. An animation of a cellphone appears, showing the keypad and the phone number 0800 559 009]

Narrator [1:31] "If you don't contact us and get back on track within 5 working days you'll move to red."
[The words "Within 5 days" and a phone icon appear next to the orange circle. The cursor move to the reed circle, which turns a darker red]

Narrator [1:37] "At red your benefit is reduced or stopped, so contact us immediately to get back on track."
[The green and orange circles disappear, and the red circle moves to the left. The words "Your benefit will reduce or stop" appear. A man's hands are shown dialling the Work and Income phone number into a cellphone]

Narrator [1:45] "We've got a tonne of different ways we can help you to meet your obligations and stay at Green."
[2 men sitting at a desk, talking and laughing. The 3 circles, with the green circle in a dark green, and a tick next to it]

Narrator [1:50] "If you'd like help understanding your obligations or the traffic light system read more on our website."
[The words "Work-related obligations", "Traffic light system" and "www.workandincome.govt.nz", and "Search" appear. The cursor clicks on "Search", and the screen changes to show the logos of the Ministry of Social Development, Work and Income, and the words "www.workandincome.govt.nz"]

Full-time work obligations

You'll generally be expected to look for work of at least 30 hours a week, unless you have a health condition or disability that means you can't work full-time.

If you have full-time work obligations, you need to:

  • be available for and take reasonable steps to get a suitable job
  • take any offer of suitable full-time, part-time or temporary work, or work that is seasonal or subsidised
  • attend and take part in any suitable job interviews we ask you to
  • take and pass any drug test potential employers or training providers require
  • attend and take part in interviews with Work and Income as required
  • work with us to plan how you'll find a suitable job
  • take part in any other activities we refer you to that will improve your work readiness or help you get work, such as:
    • job training courses
    • Kōrero Mahi work seminars
    • work experience, or
    • work assessments (including rehabilitation, but not medical treatment)
  • let us know how you're meeting your work obligations as often as we reasonably require.

Part-time work obligations

If you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can only work part-time, you'll need to look for work of at least 15 hours a week.

If you have part-time work obligations, you need to:

  • be available for and take reasonable steps to get a suitable part-time job
  • take any offer of suitable part-time or temporary work, or work that is seasonal or subsidised
  • attend and take part in any suitable job interviews we ask you to
  • take and pass any drug test potential employers or training providers require
  • attend and take part in interviews with us as required
  • work with us to plan how you'll find a suitable job
  • take part in any other activities that we refer you to, such as attend any job training courses, seminars, work experience or work assessments (including rehabilitation, but not medical treatment) that will improve your work readiness or help you get work
  • let us know how you're meeting your work obligations as often as we reasonably require.

Work preparation obligations

If you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you're unable to work, or can only work fewer than 15 hours a week, you won't be asked to meet work obligations until your situation changes.

In the meantime, you have the following work preparation obligations to:

  • take reasonable steps to prepare and plan for work
  • attend and take part in work preparation interviews, where we ask you to
  • attend and take part in work related activities or programmes such as a work assessment, a programme or seminar to increase particular skills or enhance motivation where we ask you to
  • attend and take part in any other activity that we require you to (including rehabilitation but not medical treatment, voluntary work or activity in the community).

You must tell us or your Contracted Service Provider (if you have one assigned to you) immediately if you:

  • have a change in work situation, e.g. start part-time, casual or full-time work, whether paid or unpaid
  • become self-employed/start to run a business
  • plan to travel overseas
  • start or finish study, either part-time or full-time
  • have a change of personal details, e.g. your:
    • name
    • address
    • contact details
    • bank account number
  • have changes to your living situation, e.g:
    • marriage or separation
    • starting or ending a civil union
    • starting or ending a de facto relationship
    • change in the number of children you support
    • change in accommodation costs
  • are imprisoned or held in custody on remand
  • are admitted to or discharged from hospital
  • are granted an overseas pension
  • have any other change that may affect your benefit entitlement or rate.

You're expected to take reasonable steps to meet social obligations as a parent or a caregiver. These obligations are to help ensure children get a good start.

You must ensure your dependent child(ren) (including any child you get Orphan's or Unsupported Child's Benefit for) are:

  • enrolled with a health practitioner or a medical practice that's part of a Primary Health Organisation (PHO)
  • enrolled in and attending one of the following from the age of 3 until they start school:
    • an approved early childhood education programme, eg,
      • Kohanga Reo, Punanga Reo, Aoga and other programmes with a language and culture focus
      • parenting and early childhood home education programmes
      • kindergartens
      • preschools
      • childcare centres
      • playcentres
      • home-based care services, or
    • Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu - The Correspondence School, or
    • another approved parenting and early childhood home education programme
  • up to date with core Well Child/Tamariki Ora checks if aged under 5, at a Well Child/Tamariki Ora provider, eg:
    • Plunket
    • Maori health provider
    • Pacific health provider
  • enrolled in and attending school from the age of 5 or 6 (depending on when they start school).

We understand there could be some situations outside of your control that mean you may not be able to meet an obligation right now. For example:

  • your child is on a waiting list for a GP, or
  • there aren’t any available places in your nearby childcare centre.

You may be required to meet with us to discuss how you're meeting your obligations as a parent or a caregiver.

See more examples of situations outside your control

When it has been agreed, you have an obligation to attend and participate in a Work Ability Assessment.

When it has been agreed that you will work with a Contracted Service Provider, you have an obligation to co-operate with them and to:

  • attend and participate in any interview with them
  • report to them on how you're meeting your obligations
  • complete assessments with them.

If there's any reason why you can't meet your obligations, talk to us straight away. If you don't meet your obligations without good and sufficient reason, your benefit could be reduced or stopped.

We have a traffic light colour system to help you stay on track with your work-related and social obligations. It lets you know where you're at and what you need to do.

Go to the 'Traffic light system' page to find out what happens if you don't meet the following obligations:

  • find or prepare for work
  • take part in Work Ability Assessments
  • take part in activities with our service providers
  • social obligations (when taking care of dependent children).

Go to the 'When you don't meet your obligations' page to find out what happens if you don't meet your obligation for telling us if something changes.

Related

Your employment plan
How to tell us when something changes
Obligations when you're getting other payments from us

How we can help

  • Benefits and payments
  • Work
  • On a benefit
  • Housing

Online services

  • Check what you might get
  • Find work
  • Apply online
  • MyMSD
  • How to stay safe online

About

  • About Work and Income
  • About this site
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy, disclaimer and copyright

Contact us

  • Phone numbers
  • Find a service centre
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Feedback
  • Help in other languages
Go to Ministry of Social Development's website Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa / New Zealand Government Shielded Site