What to provide when you apply for one-off help

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.

Verify your identity online using Identity Check

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.

Phone us

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.

Apply online for a birth certificateexternal

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.

To process your application and determine your eligibility and entitlement, you may need to show us evidence of costs from a retailer for the goods or services you need (not required for food or petrol). We'll let you know if you need to do this.