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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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Young Parent Payment
Young Parent Payment helps young parents aged 16-19 year olds.
You may get the Young Parent Payment if you:
- are 16-19 years old
- have a dependent child or children
- are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
You must also:
- be in, or available for, full time education, training or work-based learning leading towards an NCEA level 2 qualification, or an equivalent or higher qualification
- be in a teen parent unit if your child is one year old, or from six months old if there is a place available for you
- work with a Youth Service provider who will help you manage your money
- attend a budgeting course
- attend a parenting course to develop your parenting skills
- enrol your child (or children) at a medical centre or with a doctor
- register your children under five with a WellChild, like Plunket, and make sure they have regular checkups with this provider
- have your child (or children) attend Early Childhood Education or other suitable childcare when you are in education, training or work-based learning or part-time work.
We know you may not be able to do some of these things due to COVID-19. We'll talk to you about this when you apply.
You're single
If you're single and 16 or 17, you may only get Young Parent Payment if you either:
- have a parental support gap
- are living at home with, or being financially supported by, your parents or guardians and they earn less than the Family Tax Credit income cut-off point, or
- are divorced, your civil union has been dissolved, or you have separated from your de-facto partner.
You are considered to have a parental support gap if either:
- you have left the care of Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children, or
- your parents or guardian can't support you. This could be because they are in prison, in hospital, deceased, or overseas, or
- your relationship with your parents or guardians has broken down and no one can support you financially, or
- there is a good reason why you can no longer live with your parents or guardian, or be supported by them or anyone else.
You would not be considered to have a parental support gap if you have the option of living with a parent or guardian but choose not to without a good and sufficient reason.
You're in a relationship
If you're married, in a civil union or de facto relationship, you may get Young Parent Payment as long as you're not in a relationship with a specified beneficiary
If you or your partner are 16 or 17, a Family Court Judge must consent to your relationship. You'll need to show us the court order from the Family Court Judge.
Before 14 August 2018, we accepted written consent from the parents of the 16-17 year old. If you've already given the parents' consent to us before then, we can still use it. You don't need to get consent from a Family Court Judge.
Check if you can get Young Parent Payment
To find out if you could get Young Parent Payment and what else you might qualify for, use our 'Check what you might get' tool
How much you get depends on your situation.
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.
If you want to get child support through Inland Revenue, you can apply through us when you complete your online application. Or you can apply through Inland Revenue. Any child support payments you get will be counted as income for your benefit.
Once you've submitted your online form, we'll call if there's anything else you need to do.
Parent/caregiver involvement
When you apply for a Young Parent Payment, we usually discuss your situation with your parents or caregivers. There are some circumstances when this won't happen, for example, if you're married or in a civil union.
Most young people are better off if they finish their education or are in training for future work. When you apply, we'll call you to talk about what education or training you'll return to, start or continue doing.