Applicant Declaration – COVID-19 Income Relief Payment

You need to make this declaration as part of your application for the COVID-19 Income Relief Payment authorised under the Social Security Act 2018.

By submitting this application you declare that:

  • you meet the eligibility criteria below for the Income Relief Payment
  • you are available for and seeking suitable work, as appropriate to your situation
  • all information you have given us is true and complete
  • you will give the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) all information about you and your partner that may affect your eligibility for this payment
  • you have read the privacy statement that tells you how MSD can collect, use and share your personal information in this application
    you understand neither you or your partner can get a main benefit at the same time as the Income Relief Payment
  • you understand neither you or your partner can get an income-tested New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension at the same time as the Income Relief Payment
  • you agree that MSD can use your Income Relief Payment to pay back any benefit you or your partner may have been paid for the same period of time as the Income Relief Payment
  • if you or your partner receive a Student Allowance, you can only receive the part-time rate of the Income Relief Payment
  • you acknowledge this declaration forms part of your application.

Eligibility Criteria

You declare that:

  • you are aged 18 years or over, or you are a financially independent 16 or 17-year-old; and
  • you are a New Zealand citizen or a resident with a valid residence class visa; and
  • you are ordinarily resident in New Zealand; and
  • you lost your last employment due to the impact of COVID-19 on or after 1 March 2020 and before 31 October 2020; and
  • you were working for 12 weeks before you lost that job; and
  • you were working an average of at least 15 hours a week for the 12 weeks before you lost that job; and
  • you were not getting a leave support payment or wage subsidy payments in relation to COVID-19 after the date you lost that employment; and
  • you were ordinarily resident in New Zealand when you lost that employment; and
  • you have not received a redundancy payment of $30,000 or more before tax from that employment; and
  • you have not received income protection insurance payments from that employment; and
  • if you are self-employed, your self-employment is no longer viable and you have no work now or for at least the next 12 weeks; and
  • you are not waiting for an application to be approved or have not already been granted a loan for your business through the Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme; and
  • you are not getting earnings-related ACC payments for a personal injury; and
  • you are not getting earnings related compensation from Veteran’s Affairs; and
  • you are not getting Paid Parental Leave from Inland Revenue; and
    you are not in prison; and
  • you do not currently have any other paid work; and
  • if you have a partner, your partner is earning less than $2,000 a week before tax from salary and wages.