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
      • Reviewing Childcare Subsidy payments
      • Confirm OSCAR payments every term
      • 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. About Work and Income
  3. Our services
  4. Documents to provide when you apply
  5. What to provide when you apply for a benefit

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.

About Work and Income

  • Contact us
  • 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
  • Feedback and complaints
  • News
  • Careers at Work and Income

What to provide when you apply for a benefit

When you apply for a benefit or other help from us, you need to prove who you are and that what you've told us is true.

Information

You must provide original government-issued identity documents. We cannot accept copies, including certified copies.

When you apply, you'll need to provide the documents detailed below. If you are unable to provide these documents online, you can bring them into a service centre. We'll make a copy and add it to your file or application.

Find a service centre

Any delay in providing these documents could result in a delay in paying you, or your application being cancelled.

What you need to provide:

You can watch this video to find out what to provide. There's also more information about exactly what documents you need below the video.

What to provide when you apply for a benefit
View transcript of 'What to provide when you apply for a benefit' video

[Slide with a woman sitting at a desk and smiling, and the words 'What to provide when you apply for a benefit' on screen]

"If you're applying for a benefit, we'll need some documents from you." [Slide with a photo of a passport, birth certificate and driver licence, and the words 'What to provide when you apply for a benefit', moves to a second slide with the same documents and a hand holding a paper application forms]

"It might feel a bit overwhelming, but the sooner we can get these, the quicker we can get your payments sorted." [Slide of people sitting at desks and chatting in a Work and Income office, moves to two women sitting at a desk and talking, moves to a women sitting at a desk turning towards the camera and smiling].

"First things first - you need to show us a completed application." [Slide with a blue background and an animation of a completed application, with a cursor ticking boxes down the side of it]

"You can apply online or using a paper form." [Slide with a photo of a laptop with an online application open on it, moves to a split screen with the laptop on the left and a hand holding various paper application forms on the right]

"If you do it online, please note down your application reference number, so we can look it up later on." [Slide with a blue background and a MyMSD application screen with the words 'Almost there' and a reference number]

"The next thing you need is proof of who you are." [Slide with the words 'Proof of identity' and a photo of a birth certificate, passport and driver licence]

"You might have verified your identity when you applied online, but if not, we need to see two identity documents that show your full legal name and date of birth." [Slide with the words 'x2 Proof of identity' and the words 'Legal name' and 'Date of birth' with tick boxes next to them with an animation of a cursor ticking the boxes, overlaid on a photo of a birth certificate, passport and driver licence]

"They also need to be government issued." [Slide of a blue background with the words 'Government-issued']

"If you were born in Aotearoa New Zealand, you can use things like your birth certificate, passport or driver license." [Slide with a split screen, with an animation of New Zealand on the left, and photos of a birth certification, passport and driver licence on the right]

"If you were born overseas you can use things like your passport, citizenship certificate or New Zealand Refugee travel document." [Slide with a split screen, with an animation of the world on the left, and icons and words for 'Passport', 'Citizenship certificate' and 'NZ refugee travel document' on the right]

"So we need your original documents." [Slide of a woman speaking to the camera, standing in an office next to a photocopier and holding a sheet of paper, with the words 'We need your original documents' onscreen]

"Unfortunately we can't take copies, even if they're certified." [Slide of a woman speaking to the camera, standing in an office next to a photocopier and holding a sheet of paper]

"If you don't have two government issued IDs, don't worry." [Slide with a blue background and a speech bubble with the words 'Don't have 2 government-issued IDs?' and a second speech bubble with the words 'Don't worry" and a smiley face]

"Instead, you can use one government issued ID and another that proves your identity, like a letter from Inland Revenue, your marriage certificate, or your kiwi access card." [Slide with a hand holding up a passport, moves to a split screen with the passport on the left, and icons and words for 'Letter for Inland Revenue', 'Your marriage certificate' and 'Your Kiwi Access card' on the right]

"Next, you'll need some documents to support your application." [Slide with a blue background and the words 'Documents to support your application']

"These documents help us figure out your payments, so they’re really important." [Slide with a blue background and the words 'Documents to support your application']

"Here's what you need." [Slide with a women speaking to camera, sitting at a desk and sliding some paper towards the camera]

"We'll need your latest bank statement or a screenshot of your online banking." [Slide with a split screen, on the left is an animation of a bank statement, and on the right is an animation of online banking on a cellphone]

"Your income for the last year." [Slide with a split screen, on the left is the words 'Your income', and on the right is an animation of payslips and business accounts]

"That may be your payslips or business accounts." [Slide with a split screen, on the left is the words 'Your income', and on the right is an animation of payslips and business accounts]

"Your cash assets for the last year, like savings in your bank account, trust documents, or share certificates." Slide with a split screen, on the left is the words 'Cash assets', and on the right is icons and words for 'Bank account', 'Trust documents' and 'Share certificates']

"Your regular costs, like bills, a tenancy agreement, or higher purchase agreements." [Slide with a blue background and the words 'Your regular costs', moves to a slide with a light orange back ground, a pie chart with 3 equal sections in different colours, and a list with the words 'Bills', 'Tenancy agreement' and 'Hire purchase']

"And if you have dependent children, you need their birth certificates and proof of any childcare you pay for." [Slide with a light orange background and an animation of a child's face inside a square, and a list with the words 'Birth certificate' and 'Proof of childcare costs']

"And finally, you need to show us some documents that are specifically for the type of benefit you're applying for." [Slide with a woman standing in a Work and Income service centre, smiling and holding up an application form]

"For example, if you're applying for Jobseeker Support, bring your CV." [Slide with a blue background, the words 'Jobseeker Support' and a photo of a CV on a laptop]

"If you're not able to work right, now ask your health practitioner if they can send a medical certificate to us." [Slide with a blue background and an animation of a red cross inside a white circle, moves to a blue background with the red cross in the white circle on the left, and an animated document with the words 'Medical Certificate' in a clue circle on the right]

"There's a full list of what documents you need when you apply on our website." [Slide with a blue background and an animation of a list, with the words 'Full list available online' and a cursor ticking boxes in the list]

[Slide with a white background and the logos for the Ministry of Social Development and Work and Income, and the words 'www.workandincome.govt.nz']

When you submit your application form online we issue you an application number. Make a note of this.

We need your identity documents if we haven't seen them before or we haven't got a copy of these on your file.

If you applied for a benefit or payment in MyMSD, you may have verified your identity online using Identity Check. If so, you do not need to provide any identity documents.

If you haven't verified your identity online using Identity Check, you need to:

  • provide 2 identity documents (at least 1 of these needs to be government-issued), and 
  • bring the government-issued ID you're providing into a service centre.

You can choose to either:

  • upload your 2 identity documents to MyMSD and bring your government-issued ID into a service centre, or
  • bring your 2 identity documents into a service centre.

If you can't provide identity documents, talk to us about ways we can help.

Verify your identity at a service centre

Your partner needs to provide their identity documents as well. They can only do this by bringing their ID into a service centre. They can't use Identity Check.

Types of government-issued ID

Documents must be current, or up to 2 years expired.

You must provide original government-issued identity documents. We cannot accept copies, including certified copies.

If you were born in New Zealand

Examples of government-issued ID include:

  • NZ birth certificate (apply online for a birth certificate)
  • NZ passport
  • NZ driver licence which is either a:
    • photo licence
    • temporary paper driver licence
  • Firearms licence
  • Steps to Freedom release form
  • Oranga Tamariki issued Custody Order.

If you're born overseas

As well as ID that proves who you are, we also need proof that you have the right to live in New Zealand. Examples include:

  • New Zealand passport
  • Passport from another country (current or up to 6 months expired) showing your residence class visa or permit
  • Citizenship certificate
  • NZ Refugee Travel document
  • If you're from Australia, either your Australian:
    • passport
    • birth certificate
    • proof of residence
  • If you're from Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue, either:
    • birth certificate
    • letter of confirmation
    • certificate of registration
    • certificate of naturalisation
  • Letter of confirmation of your residence class visa or permit from Immigration New Zealand.

Other documents that prove your identity

Examples:

  • education organisation documents
  • letter from Inland Revenue
  • marriage certificate
  • Kiwi Access card (18+).

Other documents that prove your identity, but should be less than 6 months old:

  • bank document
  • document from a health practitioner
  • employment letter or payslip
  • power account document
  • rates notice
  • telecommunications account
  • tenancy agreement
  • insurance document
  • letter from a prominent community member.

This table tells you what you'll need to provide to support your application

Confirm your: Provide:
Bank account
  • Bank statement, or
  • deposit slip
  • screenshot of your online banking (showing your name, account number and the bank's logo).
IRD number

You need to tell us your IRD number. We’ll check this with Inland Revenue.

If your IRD number doesn’t match with Inland Revenue, we may ask you for proof of your IRD number, if we don’t already have it. Proof can be things like:

  • a letter from Inland Revenue (digital or paper),
  • a screenshot/photo of your myIR account (this must show your name, IRD number, the IR logo and web address).
Income and assets

Proof of any before-tax income for the last 52 weeks from:

  • wages
  • holiday pay
  • business accounts
  • trust documents
  • any other income
  • assets and their values.
Dependent children
  • Full birth certificates for all children in your care.
  • Details of any childcare you pay.
  • Any other documents relating to the child, including:
    • copies of Family Group Conference outcomes
    • Court orders
    • Court approved plans.
Outgoings (including housing costs)

Details of:

  • your rent, mortgage or other accommodation costs
  • hire purchase you're currently paying
  • other regular outgoings (for example because of a disability or health condition).

If you've just left school you'll also need to bring your school leaving certificate.

There is additional information you need to provide, depending on what you may be eligible for.

Benefit You'll need
Jobseeker Support
  • current CV, or
  • details of your work qualifications (for example, training certificates and references from employers)
  • your health practitioner to send us a medical certificate (make sure they put your client number on it if you have one)
  • a completed Self-Assessment questionnaire if you have a health condition, injury or disability that stops you working full-time.
Supported Living Payment
  • your health practitioner to send us a medical certificate (make sure they put your client number on it if you have one)
  • a completed Self-Assessment questionnaire
  • existing reports or assessments (for example, a Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) or a report from a specialist).
Disability Allowance
  • evidence of health related costs
  • a Disability Allowance medical certificate for each person you apply for.
Childcare assistance
  • evidence of your work, course, study and number of hours (for example, a letter from an employer, an employment contract or a confirmation of study)
  • have the following form completed by your childcare service or OSCAR programme supervisor.
linksChildcare and OSCAR subsidy application (PDF 1.2MB)

Related

Apply online with MyMSD
Order a Birth or Marriage Certificate online

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