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Work homepage
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Overview
We can help you get ready to apply and find the right job for you. We can even help you while you're working.
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Get ready to work
You can get training, help with CVs and cover letters, and advice for job interviews.
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Find jobs
Find out what jobs are available, which job is best for you and how you can plan your career.
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Working
Whether you've just started a job or need some help at work, we've got your back.
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Lost your job
We'll help you get ready to find a new job and support you while you're between jobs.
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Start your own business
Get help to plan and set up a successful business or be a self-employed contractor.
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Benefits and payments homepage
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Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
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Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
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Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
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Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
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Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
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Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
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Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
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Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
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Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
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Moving to New Zealand
Payments you can get from us, settling into NZ, overseas pensions and more.
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Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
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On a benefit homepage
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Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
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Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
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Income
Declare income and income deduction tables
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Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
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Going overseas
Travelling or moving overseas may affect your payments.
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Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
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Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
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Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
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Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
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Housing homepage
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Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
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Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
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Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
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Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
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Moving house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Other languages
Read some of our housing information in other languages.
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Getting a payment card
Payment cards are used to buy one-off costs, for example food, groceries, glasses or dental treatment. Find out how we can help with these costs, how to apply and how to get a payment card.
You must have set a personalised PIN on your payment card before you can use it. Find out how to set your PIN
If you're a young person in Youth Service getting payments, there are a few differences in getting and using your payment card. Find out more on the Youth Service website:
How to apply for help with a cost
If you need help with an urgent, unexpected or one-off essential cost, you can find out how we can help here:
The links above will also tell you how to apply for these costs. If your application is approved, we'll check how we can pay this. Some costs will not need a payment card – we'll let you know if this is the case.
If we need to put this onto a payment card for you, we'll check if you already have a card. If you don't, you'll need to pick up a card from your local service centre - see below to find out how to do this.
How to get a payment card
Step 1:
Once your application is approved, pick up a payment card from any of our service centres. There's a list of their locations here:
Step 2:
Go to reception and ask for a payment card. You need to have:
- your client number
- a government issued identity document (for example a driver licence, birth certificate, or passport).
You don't need an appointment for this.
Step 3:
Our staff will finish your application and load the money onto your card.
They will tell you:
- how much money is on the card - you can also check this online in MyMSD
- which shops you can use it at
- what you can buy with it
- how long the money will stay on the card for.
Step 4:
You need to set a PIN on your card before you can use it.
The easiest way is to do it online:
- Log in to MyMSD.
- Go to 'My payment cards'.
- Select the card you want to add a PIN for.
- Enter a 4-digit PIN - don’t use a PIN that is consecutive, easily associated with you (like birthdays), or the numbers on your card.
- Re-enter your PIN.
You can also set a PIN by calling us and saying "set my card PIN". If you've registered your voice you can do this at any time without waiting to talk to a person.
If you haven't registered your voice, you need to call during our contact centre opening hours to talk to us.
You can follow the same steps above to reset your PIN or unlock your card.
Step 5:
Sign the back of your card. When you use the card you will need to sign your receipt, and the shop staff will check this matches the signature on your card.
Keep your payment card in a safe place. If you need further payments, we can load them onto this card, so you don't need to go to a service centre to get another one.
Getting a Notice of Credit letter instead of a payment card
There are times when we need to give you a Notice of Credit letter instead of a payment card. This can happen when:
- the EFTPOS network or our internal systems are down
- there's a state of emergency or natural disaster
- you're unable to use a payment card.
When you call us to apply, we'll talk about whether you need this letter.