Emergency Benefit obligations

You must tell us (or your Youth Service Provider if you have one assigned to you) immediately if you:

• have a change in your work situation, e.g. starting part-time, casual or full-time work (paid or unpaid)
• become self-employed or start a business
• have changes to your income or financial circumstances
• have a boarder or renter that moves in or out, or the payments you get from them change
• plan to travel overseas
• start or finish study - part-time or full-time
• have changes to your personal details, e.g:
  • name
  • address
  • bank account
• have changes to your living situation, e.g:
  • marriage or separation
  • starting or ending a civil union
  • starting or ending a de facto relationship
  • change in the number of children you support
• have a change in accommodation costs
• are imprisoned or held in custody on remand
• are admitted to or discharged from hospital
• are granted an overseas pension
• have any other changes that may affect your benefit entitlement or rate.

You’re expected to take reasonable steps to meet social obligations as a parent or a caregiver. These obligations are to help ensure children get a good start.

You must ensure your dependent child(ren) (including any child you get Orphan’s or Unsupported Child’s Benefit for) are:

• enrolled with a general practitioner (GP) or a medical practice that’s part of a Primary Health Organisation (PHO)
• enrolled in and attending one of the following from the age of 3 until they start school:
  • an approved early childhood education programme, eg,
    • Kohanga Reo, Punanga Reo, Aoga and other programmes with a language and culture focus
    • parenting and early childhood home education programmes
    • kindergartens
    • preschools
    • childcare centres
    • playcentres
    • home-based care services, or
  • Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu – The Correspondence School, or
  • another approved parenting and early childhood home education programme
• up to date with core Well Child/Tamariki Ora checks if aged under 5, at a Well Child/Tamariki Ora provider, eg:
  • Plunket
  • Maori health provider
  • Pacific health provider
• enrolled in and attending school from the age of 5 or 6 (depending on when they start school).

We understand there could be some situations outside of your control that mean you may not be able to meet an obligation right now. For example:

• your child is on a waiting list for a GP, or
• there aren’t any available places in your nearby childcare centre.

You may be required to meet with us to discuss how you’re meeting your obligations as a parent or a caregiver.

When it has been agreed, you have an obligation to attend and participate in a Work Ability Assessment.

Full-time work obligations

You'll generally be expected to look for work of at least 30 hours a week, unless you have a health condition or disability that means you can't work full-time.

If you have full-time work obligations, you need to:

• be available for and take reasonable steps to get a suitable job
• take any offer of suitable full-time, part-time or temporary work, or work that is seasonal or subsidised
• attend and take part in any suitable job interviews we ask you to
• take and pass any drug test potential employers or training providers require
• attend and take part in interviews with Work and Income as required
• work with us to plan how you'll find a suitable job
• take part in any other activities we refer you to that will improve your work readiness or help you get work, such as:
  • job training courses
  • work experience, or
  • work assessments (including rehabilitation, but not medical treatment)
• let us know how you're meeting your work obligations as often as we reasonably require.

Part-time work obligations

If you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can only work part-time, you'll need to look for work of at least 15 hours a week.

If you have part-time work obligations, you need to:

• be available for and take reasonable steps to get a suitable part-time job
• take any offer of suitable part-time or temporary work, or work that is seasonal or subsidised
• attend and take part in any suitable job interviews we ask you to
• take and pass any drug test potential employers or training providers require
• attend and take part in interviews with us as required
• work with us to plan how you'll find a suitable job
• take part in any other activities that we refer you to, such as attend any job training courses, seminars, work experience or work assessments (including rehabilitation, but not medical treatment) that will improve your work readiness or help you get work
• let us know how you're meeting your work obligations as often as we reasonably require.

Work preparation obligations

If you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you're unable to work, or can only work fewer than 15 hours a week, you won't be asked to meet work obligations until your situation changes.

In the meantime, you have the following work preparation obligations to:

• take reasonable steps to prepare and plan for work
• attend and take part in work preparation interviews, where we ask you to
• attend and take part in work related activities or programmes such as a work assessment, a programme or seminar to increase particular skills or enhance motivation where we ask you to
• attend and take part in any other activity that we require you to (including rehabilitation but not medical treatment, voluntary work or activity in the community).

If there's any reason why you can't meet your obligations, talk to us straight away. If you don't meet your obligations without good and sufficient reason, your benefit could be reduced or stopped.

Contact us

To find out what happens if you don't meet your obligation for telling us if something changes, go to the 'When you don't meet your obligations' page. 

When you don't meet your obligations

We have a traffic light colour system to help you stay on track with your work-related and social obligations (if you have these). It lets you know where you're at and what you need to do.

Go to the 'Traffic light system' page to find out what happens if you don't meet the following obligations:

• find or prepare for work
• take part in Work Ability Assessments
• take part in activities with our service providers
• social obligations (when taking care of dependent children).

Traffic light system