Supported Living Payment

To get Supported Living Payment you generally must:

• either:
  • be a New Zealand citizen
  • be a permanent resident, or
  • have a residence class visa under the Immigration Act 2009
• normally live here, and
• have lived here for at least 2 years at one time since either:
  • becoming a New Zealand citizen
  • becoming a permanent resident, or
  • getting a residence class visa.

It may also depend on your and your partner's income.

There are also other criteria you need to meet. They depend on the reason you're applying, which could be because you either:

• have a health condition, injury, or disability, or
• are caring full-time for someone.

Have a health condition, injury or disability

The other criteria you need to meet is that you must also be:

• 16 years or older, and
• either:
  • permanently and severely restricted in your ability to work because of a health condition, injury or disability, or
  • totally blind.

This means you have either a:

• condition affecting your capacity to work for more than 2 years, or
• life expectancy of less than 2 years.

It also means that you can't regularly work 15 hours or more a week in open employment.

Caring full-time for someone

The other criteria you need to meet is that you must also be:

• giving full-time care at home to someone other then your partner, and
• aged either:
  • 18 years or older and do not have a dependent child, or
  • 20 years or older and have a dependent child.

The person you're caring for must otherwise need to receive hospital or residential-level care. Examples of this level of care are:

• rest home care
• residential disability care
• extended care services for severely disabled children and young people
• inpatient or residential hospital care.

Check if you can get Supported Living Payment

To find out if you could get Supported Living Payment and what else you might qualify for, use our 'Check what you might get' tool.

Supported Living Payment is paid weekly. How much you get depends on the reason you're applying.

Have a health condition, injury or disability

If you're applying because you have a health condition, injury or disability, how much you get depends on:

• your situation, and
• how much you earn (in some cases we may not count all of your income).

If you're totally blind, we won't take any of your income into account.

If you have a partner, their income will be taken into account (unless they are totally blind as well).

Caring full-time for someone

If you're applying because you're caring full-time for someone, how much you get depends on:

• your situation, and
• how much you and your partner (if you have one) earn.

Rates and income limits

If you get the Supported Living Payment, you'll also automatically get a Winter Energy Payment. This is paid during the Winter months.

How you apply depends on whether you're already getting a benefit or not.

As part of the application process we'll need to see proof of the reason you're applying. This includes either:

• information that confirms your condition and the impact it has on your ability to work, or
• medical information from the health practitioner of the person you're caring for.

We'll let you know what's needed and how to get this to us.

Not getting a benefit

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.

MyMSD will tell you what you’ll need to provide, including a medical certificate from your health practitioner.

Already getting a benefit

If you are getting another benefit (eg Jobseeker Support), call us on 0800 559 009. We'll let you know what you need to do.

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

Apply for child support if you're a sole parent

If you get Supported Living Payment and you're a sole parent, 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.
• If you have dependent children under 18, you'll also get a Family Tax Credit from Inland Revenue.

The health and disability support system may also be able to help, eg, time off for caregivers or home support services. Visit the Ministry of Health website for more information.

Meet your obligations

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

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

If you have a partner, there are things they'll need to do as well.

Supported Living Payment obligations

Review your circumstances

Each year we'll ask you to review your circumstances. This means you'll need to confirm if anything has changed (eg, your expenses).

Then we can make sure you're getting everything you’re entitled to and that we’re paying you the right amount.

Review of circumstances - How a review of your circumstances works

Update us with information about your health condition

Every 2 years we may ask you for updated medical information. This is to check how your health condition or disability currently impacts on your capacity to work.

This will help us understand what support you need from us, and whether you’re able to work right now or in the future. We may ask for this even if your health condition or disability is permanent or hasn’t changed.

We’ll write to you if you need to complete a Supported Living Payment review. We’ll ask you to show us a recently completed Work Capacity Medical Certificate completed by a health practitioner. If we need further information, we’ll let you know.

If you can’t provide this information, or you want to see one of our designated doctors, call us to let us know.

We won't ask you to complete a Supported Living Payment review if you:

• are totally blind
• are terminally ill
• have a severe intellectual or cognitive impairment
• have a disorder that severely impacts on your ability to function and care for yourself and is unlikely to improve.

How to tell us if something changes

You can still work while you’re getting a Supported Living Payment, even if it’s just a few hours a week. We can help you prepare for work, find a job or study.

Want to work while getting Supported Living Payment

Weekly wages deduction tables