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Work homepage
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Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
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Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
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Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
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Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
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Job Connect on Facebook
Find out how we can help you get ready to work, find work, and support available while you're working.
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CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
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Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
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Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
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Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
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Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
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Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
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Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
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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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16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
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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
Going on holiday or going to live overseas
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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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Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Civil Defence payment
When there's an emergency event (e.g. flooding or an earthquake), we may make Civil Defence payments available. If you've been affected and these payments are available, you may be able to get one.
Civil Defence Payments are available for people affected by the floods in September 2023 in Southland, Fiordland, Invercargill, Gore and Queenstown.
What the payments cover
Civil Defence Payments can help cover the costs of:
- Food
- Bedding
- Clothing
- Accommodation
- Loss of income.
Who can get it
Civil Defence Payments are available for people affected by the floods in September 2023 in Southland, Fiordland, Invercargill, Gore and Queenstown.
You don't have to be on a benefit to qualify for a Civil Defence payment. You also don't have to be a New Zealand resident. In most cases, it doesn't matter what your income is or what assets you have.
You may be able to get a Civil Defence Payment if:
- Civil Defence payments have been made available for an emergency event, and
- you don't have insurance to cover your costs.
You must also be in one of these situations:
- you had to leave your home (e.g. you've been evacuated or you're on stand-by) and can't return
- you were away from your home at the time of the emergency and can't return
- you must stay in your home, or
- you can't work and you've lost income because either:
- you can't get to work
- your workplace is closed, or
- you need to stay with your family or whānau, e.g. to care for a child because their school is closed.
We can't help with accommodation costs if you've been offered free accommodation but choose not to take it. You also can't get a Civil Defence payment to help pay for Temporary Accommodation Service.
Insurance
If you're not sure whether insurance will cover your costs, or your claim is delayed, you may still qualify for a Civil Defence Payment. However if you get a Civil Defence Payment and then your insurance pays for any costs covered by this, you'll need to pay us back.
How to apply
You can apply for a Civil Defence payment if you've been affected by the flooding in Southland, Fiordland, Invercargill, Gore or Queenstown.
Call us on 0800 559 009 to apply. We're open on:
- Saturday, 8am to 1pm
- Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm.
What you need to tell us
When you apply you'll need to tell us your:
- full name
- date of birth
- phone number
- client number (if you have one)
- normal home address
- current address (if you've had to evacuate your home).
If you're applying because you've lost income due to the emergency, you'll also need to tell us your:
- IRD number
- bank account number
- details of any income you've lost so far
- employer's:
- name
- address
- contact person's name and address.
If we need any further information we'll contact you.
How much you can get
How much you can get depends on your circumstances. You can apply for help with more than one type of cost.