Home / About Work and Income / Our services / What to bring when you meet with us / What to bring when you apply for a benefit

What to bring 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.

When you come and see us to discuss your application, you need to bring the documents detailed below.

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

What you need to bring:

Online application reference number

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

Proof of who you are

You need to bring 3 forms of identification, one of which must be at least 2 years old.

If you've had a benefit before, you don't need to provide 'Government issued ID'. You only need to bring 2 documents from the 'Other documents that prove your identity' list, and one of these must be at least 2 years old.

Government issued ID

You need to provide 1 of the following that shows your full legal name and date of birth:

Born in New Zealand	Born overseas
NZ Passport Drivers Licence Firearms Licence Steps to Freedom release form CYF issued Custody Order NZ Birth Certificate	New Zealand passport Australian passport your passport showing your residence class visa or permit citizenship certificate NZ Refugee Travel document letter of confirmation of your residence class visa or permit from Immigration New Zealand

If your name on your government issued ID has changed, you'll also need to provide either:

marriage certificate
deed poll
other proof of the name change.

Application supporting documents

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

Confirm your:	Provide:
Bank account	Bank statement, or deposit slip
IRD number	A form or letter from Inland Revenue showing your tax number, or a myIR printout which also shows their web address and logo.
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 (eg because of a disability or health condition).

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

Benefit specific documents

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 doctor 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 doctor 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	proof of health related costs a Disability Allowance medical certificate for each person you apply for.
Childcare assistance	proof 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.