Transfer from Sole Parent Support to Jobseeker Support
Once your youngest child turns 14, we may transfer you from Sole Parent Support to Jobseeker Support. Find out when you'll transfer and what you'll need to do differently when you're on Jobseeker Support.
Once your youngest child turns 14, you are no longer able to get Sole Parent Support. You will then transfer to Jobseeker Support if you meet the criteria.
If you don't meet the criteria (e.g. you're working 30 hours or more a week or studying full-time), you may be able to get other payments instead. Use our Check What You Might Get tool to find out what payments you could get.
Check what you might getexternal
We'll let you know about the transfer
If we transfer you to Jobseeker Support, it will happen automatically. You don't need to do anything.
We'll send you a letter 4 weeks before your youngest child turns 14 to let you know if you'll transfer to Jobseeker Support.
- If you can transfer, we'll let you know when this will happen.
- If you can't transfer, we'll let you know when your Sole Parent Support payments will stop.
What will change for you
Once you transfer to Jobseeker Support:
- your work obligations may change
- you'll need to reapply every 26 weeks (6 months), and
- we'll assess your income differently. You'll have a weekly income assessment, so you'll have to tell us about your income as you earn it and it may affect your benefit payment.
Your payment rate won't change when you transfer to Jobseeker Support.
Read more about these changes below.
Work obligations
On Sole Parent Support, you have an obligation to either:
- look for part-time work, if your youngest child is aged 3-13, or
- prepare for work, if your youngest child is under 3 or you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can’t work.
Once you transfer to Jobseeker Support, you have an obligation to:
- look for full-time work, or
- look for part-time work, if you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can only work part-time, or
- prepare for work, if you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can’t work or can only work less than 15 hours a week.
While you're on Jobseeker Support we may ask you to meet with us or take part in activities that will help you meet these obligations. This could include attending a Kōrero Mahi work seminar or meeting with us in person.
Reapply for your benefit
On Sole Parent Support you reapply every 52 weeks (1 year).
Once you transfer to Jobseeker Support, you have to reapply every 26 weeks (or 6 months).
Income assessment
On Sole Parent Support, you have an annual income assessment. This means we assess your income over 52 weeks.
Once you transfer to Jobseeker Support, you have a weekly income assessment.
This means:
- you have to tell us about your income as you earn it, and
- the amount you earn may affect your benefit payment.
If you don't tell us about income you earn, we may not pay you enough. Or we may pay you too much and you'll get a debt which you'll have to pay back.