Child turning 18
If a child in your care is turning 18 and there is a change in their circumstances, your payments can be affected. Find out what you need to do to keep getting the right support, and when you need to tell us you’re no longer supporting them.
When a child can stay included in your payments
When a child turns 18, we usually stop including them in payments.
However, if the child in your care has their 18th birthday on or after 4 September 2026, they can continue to be included in your payments if they:
- are enrolled and attending school or tertiary education, and
- still depend on you for financial support.
Tell us before they turn 18
You need to tell us if the child in your care is still meeting these requirements to stay included in your payments before they turn 18.
You can tell us through this form:
If you don't let us know, your payments may reduce.
If a child in your care has finished or left education before they turn 18, but they are still financially dependent on you, they can be included in your payments until they turn 18.
If the child in your care is no longer financially dependent on you, please contact us.
If you are receiving one of these payments, you need to get in touch with us before your child turns 18 or your payments will stop:
- Emergency Benefit
- Emergency Maintenance Allowance
- Jobseeker Support on ground of hardship
- Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
- Special Benefit
- Community Costs.
No longer supporting your 16-17 year old
We can only include your 16 or 17 year old in your payments if you're supporting them. If you're not supporting them at the moment, you need to tell us.
Supporting a child means you take the main responsibility for them, and:
- they're part of your family
- they depend on you financially
- they're not in paid full time work (30 hours or more a week)
- you're not getting payments from Oranga Tamariki on behalf of them.
If you support your 16 or 17 year old at the moment or you'll still support them next year, you don't need to do anything. Your payments will continue.
We need to know if you're not supporting your 16 or 17 year old at the moment or won't be supporting them next year. This is so we can make sure we pay you the right amount.
How to tell us
If you're not supporting your 16 or 17 year old at the moment, or won't be supporting them next year, you need to contact us.
What happens next
We'll send you a letter to let you know if there are any changes to your payment.
Child turning 18
We'll stop including your child in your payments from your first pay day after 31 December if:
- they're turning 18 this year, and
- they're still at school or a training course.
Your child's studying
If your child wants to study next year, they may be able to get a Student Allowance from StudyLink.