Apply for money for urgent costs and choose to ask for community support

Many people can self-isolate with help from whānau, family and friends. If you need it, you can get extra help to self-isolate safely.

Use this form if you would like:

• money for urgent costs, like food and groceries, essential items, medicine or bills that are higher than usual, like power. You need to meet an income and asset test
• help from community, iwi or Pacific organisations to get things done, including deliveries of things you need.

This form covers you, your partner and any dependent children in your care. Anyone else in your household needs to complete their own form.

Apply for urgent costs help

This includes food and groceries, essential items, medicine, or bills that are higher than usual, like power.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) may be able to give you money for urgent costs.

Your income and cash assets must be under a certain amount.

In the form, tell us about how much income and any cash assets you and your partner have. This helps us work out what you can get and other ways we can help.

Ask for support from a community organisation – optional

Local community organisations, including iwi and Pacific organisations, are working with MSD to support people in their communities.

These local organisations can help you self-isolate safely by arranging support and checking how you’re doing.

What you need to apply for urgent costs help

You need information for yourself, and your partner if you have one, about your:

• income before tax
• cash assets, like savings, shares, or property you don’t use as your home
• Inland Revenue tax number – this is optional
• MSD client number if you have one. You can find this on letters from Work and Income or StudyLink. Or look on your Community Services Card or SuperGold card if you have one.

Identification documents

If you’re not a:

• current MSD client, you need to provide identification, such as your passport, birth certificate or NZ driver licence
• New Zealand citizen, you need to provide your proof of residency status. You may still be able to get help, whatever your residency status.

You need to upload documents at the end of the form.

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You need to fill in the form in one go, as you can’t save your answers and finish it later.

This form may take up to 15 minutes to finish.

By continuing, you’re confirming you:

• understand how MSD uses your information and give your consent
• have the consent of everyone for whom you are completing this form.

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Help filling in this form

If you need help with a form, you can call us for free on the COVID welfare line 0800 512 337

This line is open:

• Monday to Friday, between 8am and 5pm
• Saturdays, between 8am and 1pm.

Note: the line will not be open on public holidays.

If it’s hard to use the phone, you can contact us through our services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment.

If you’re having technical problems with a form, check our technical help with online forms.