Sole Parent Support

This benefit:

• helps you get ready for future work (if your youngest child is under 3)
• supports you to find part-time work (if your youngest child is 3 or over)
• may mean you can get help with education and training.

Only one parent or caregiver can get Sole Parent Support. Shared care of your child could affect your payments.

Who can get it

You may get Sole Parent Support if you:

• are aged 20 or older (if you're 19 or younger, you may be able to get a Young Parent Payment)
• are a single parent or caregiver
• have one or more dependent children under 14
• are not in a relationship, and
• do not have adequate financial support.

You also need to:

• be either:
  • a New Zealand citizen
  • a permanent resident, or
  • have a residence visa under the Immigration Act 2009
• have lived continuously in NZ for at least 2 years since either:
  • becoming a NZ citizen
  • becoming a permanent resident, or
  • getting a residence class visa
• be ordinarily resident in NZ, and
• be ordinarily resident in New Zealand when you apply.

If you meet all the above criteria except for the one about how long you've lived in New Zealand, talk to us.

This information is a guide only. For more detail about who can get it, read:

Check if you can get Sole Parent Support

To find out if you could get Sole Parent Support and what else you might qualify for, use our 'Check what you might get' tool.

What you can get

Sole Parent Support is paid weekly. How much you get depends on your situation and how much you earn.

If you get Sole Parent Support, you'll also automatically get a Winter Energy Payment. This is paid during the Winter months.

How to apply

You can apply online through MyMSD. We'll also check to see if you can get any other help from us, based on the answers you give in your application.

What happens next

Once you've submitted your online form, we'll call you if there's anything else you need to do.

Apply for child support

If you get Sole Parent Support, you need to fill in a Child Support application form. This helps Inland Revenue collect child support payments from the other parent of your child.

There are some situations when you don't need to apply. Everyone's situation is different.

We'll contact you when we process your application and let you know what you need to do.

If your application's approved

• We'll let you know when your payments will start.
• We'll also send you a Community Services Card to help with the costs of prescriptions and going to the doctor.
• You may also get a Family Tax Credit from Inland Revenue.

While you're getting Sole Parent Support

There are things you need to do when you're getting a Sole Parent Support benefit. If you don't do them, your benefit could reduce or stop. This includes things like:

• telling us if something changes
• finding or preparing for work
• taking part in work ability assessments.

Getting Sole Parent Support for more than 12 months

If you're getting Sole Parent Support and you still need it after a year, you have to re-apply.