What's new
12 December 2018
Letting fees assistance
On 12 December 2018 the Ministry stopped providing assistance for letting fees. It is unlawful for a client to be asked for letting fees. However, if a client had signed an agreement and agreed to pay a letting fee before 12 December 2018 payment can be considered. See:
Public Protection Orders, Imprisonment and psychiatric hospitals
Clients with a Public Protection Order may be able to get an Emergency Benefit, New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension if they qualify. Clients who are held under a Public Protection Order may also be able get a Winter Energy Payment. See:
- Emergency Benefit Person detained under a Public Protection Order
- New Zealand Superannuation Person detained under a Public Protection Order
- Veterans Pension Person detained under a Public Protection Order
- Winter Energy Payment Paying Winter Energy Payment to clients with a Public Protection Order
Clients who have been sentenced to imprisonment but detained in or transferred to a pyschiatric hospital may get an Emergency Benefit and a Winter Energy Payment if they qualify. See:
- Emergency Benefit Person serving their sentence of imprisonment in a psychiatric hospital
- Winter Energy Payment Detention in or transfer to a psychiatric hospital
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1 December 2018
Community Services Card and SuperGold Card
Community Services Card and SuperGold Card have been updated to include eligibility for social housing tenants and clients getting an Accommodation Supplement. See:
Income and cash asset exemptions - Lump sum payments to clients who were social housing tenants
Between 1 July 2013 and 1 June 2018, some Housing New Zealand tenants had their tenancies ended due to methamphetamine contamination testing of a property.
From 30 November, clients that were affected may get a lump sum payment from Housing New Zealand to cover the costs of moving. These payments are not counted as income or cash assets for 12 months after the date the payment is made.
- Types of income Payments to clients whose Housing New Zealand tenancy was terminated due to methamphetamine contamination
Student Loans
The amount of EFTS available has been extended beyond the 7 EFTS limit for study of long undergraduate programmes. See:
Disability Allowance, Temporary Additional Support and Childcare Assistance
From 3 December system changes have been made in SWIFTT where you can suspend Extra help assistance from a future date. The information in Absences from New Zealand to check and suspend Extra help assistance when advised in advance that a client is leaving New Zealand, has been removed from Map. See:
- Childcare Subsidy Absence from New Zealand
- OSCAR Subsidy Absence from New Zealand
- Temporary Additional Support Absence from New Zealand
- Disability Allowance Absence from New Zealand
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26 November 2018
Social Security Act 2018
Social Security Act 2018 effective from Monday 26 November 2018
When the new Social Security Act 2018 was implemented there were no changes to clients benefits or entitlements.
However, several terms changed in the new Social Security Act 2018.
For a full list of the new terms and the news story see:
A Map archive [no link find out why] as at 25 November 2018 is available.
When reviewing a decision, with a decision date before 26 November 2018, the old Act and policy information should be used. See: Map archive [no link find out why]
Related information
