What happens to your benefit while you train or study

Find out if your benefit will change while you're training or studying, and what other help you might be able to get.

To keep getting your benefit while you train or study, you need to make sure you still meet your benefit obligations.

  • Obligations are things you need to do when you get a payment from us.
  • If you don't do them, your payments could reduce or stop.

Select a benefit below to find out what kind of training or study you can do while getting that benefit.

To get Jobseeker Support while you train or study, you need to meet your work obligations.

Jobseeker Support has 3 types of work obligations:

  • full-time work obligations
  • part-time work obligations
  • work preparation obligations.

Full-time work obligations

This means you need to be available and looking for full-time work, which is at least 30 hours a week.

If you're studying or training:

  • part-time, you can get Jobseeker Support if you're still available and looking for full-time work
  • full-time, you can't get Jobseeker Support, as you won't be available for full-time work.

You may be able to get payments from StudyLink instead.

If you're not sure if a course is part-time or full-time, check with your education provider.

Part-time work obligations

If you have a health condition, injury or disability, you will have part-time work obligations. This means you need to be available and looking for part-time work, which is at least 15 hours a week.

If you're studying or training part-time, you can get Jobseeker Support if you're still available and looking for part-time work.

Work preparation obligations

If you have a health condition, injury or disability that means you can't work or can only work less than 15 hours a week, you will have work preparation obligations. This means you need to do a number of things to prepare and plan for work.

If you're studying or training part-time, you can get Jobseeker Support if you can still meet this work obligation.

You can read the full list of Jobseeker Support obligations to check all the obligations.

Your youngest child is under 3

To get Sole Parent Support while you train or study:

Your youngest child is 3 to 13

You can get Sole Parent Support if you're available, and looking, for part-time work of at least 20 hours a week. You may not have to do this if you're either:

  • already doing a course when your part-time work obligations started (e.g. when your Sole Parent Support started), or
  • studying at NZQA Level 4 or higher.

You must pass at least half of your training or study.

You can read the full list of Sole Parent Support obligations to check all the obligations and make sure you're meeting those as well.

You can still get a Supported Living Payment while you train or study. This includes people getting Supported Living Payment as a carer.

Your payment amounts won't change.

You can study full-time while getting these payments. Your payment amounts won't change. 

You may be able to get help from StudyLink as well. Contact your Youth Service provider so they can help you to work out which type of support is best for you.

If your benefit stops

If your benefit stops because your training or study means you can't meet your obligations, you might be able to get a different payment instead. 

Check if you can get help from StudyLink, including a Student loan or Student Allowance. Use their eligibility test to find out what you can get:

Eligibility test - StudyLink