hardship assistance

 Taiohi may be able to receive a Special Needs Grant for food, if they meets all qualifications and:

• the taiohi and their immediate family has an immediate need to purchase food
• the taiohi has no resources to meet that need, and would otherwise have to rely on a food bank, and
• the need for food or lack of resources to meet it, was caused by an essential expense that had to be met and which left insufficient money to buy food.

Maximum payment for food

If the young person is receiving their full and correct entitlement (as per the steps above) and they still need a food grant, check they haven’t already exceeded their maximum food grant limit for the past 26 weeks.

Limits for past 26 weeks

• $200 - Single with no dependent children
• $300 - Married, civil union or de facto couple with no dependent children
• $450 - Married, civil union or de facto couple, or sole parent with 1 or 2 dependent children
• $550 - Married, civil union or de facto couple, or sole parent with 3 or more dependent children

What to do if they've exceeded their food grant limit

In exceptional circumstances, we can still grant assistance for food if the young person has exceeded their 26-week limit. To decide if you should recommend that the young person receives an amount over the limit, consider if they have:

• special or unusual costs
• special or unusual reasons for costs
• health issues for themselves or dependants
• a dependent child 12 months or younger
• the ability to improve their financial situation
• a risk to their basic necessities of life if they don’t receive a grant
• escaped or are escaping from an unsafe environment
• used their money wisely
• any other circumstances you consider relevant. (For example: if a preferred supplier’s minimum required amount exceeds their 6-week limit.)

See Exceptional circumstances (MAP)

Recommending a food grant over the limit

Make sure you explain clearly in the ART task why you’re making your recommendation so that YSSU know what you have based it on.

If a food grant is declined

YSSU will provide reasons if they have to decline an application. They’ll also provide a Food Bank Letter for the young person. You will need to tell the young person why their application was declined.

If the young person meets the qualifications, we can give them an advance (meaning they'll have to pay it back) for a fridge, fridge-freezer, freezer and/or washing machine from the Fisher & Paykel range. We have a preferred supplier arrangement with Fisher & Paykel for whiteware, meaning that hardship grants for other brands are not available.

Help to pay for repairs

 First, you'll need to check if the appliance is covered by the Fisher & Paykel 2-year warranty. If it isn't, hardship assistance may also cover the cost of repairs if the young person’s whiteware has broken down. 

Repeat applications for whiteware

Sometimes a young person’s circumstances mean that they no longer have the original whiteware – like when they leave a violent relationship and have to leave their possessions.

If a young person applies again for the same item, it will need a higher level of approval.

See more about assistance for Fridges, freezers and washing machines.

Taiohi may be able to get an Advance of Benefit Payment up to $280 for an eye test, lenses, including: single vision, bifocals, or standard progressives frames, prescription sunglasses.

We have preferred supplier arrangements with selected optometrists and opticians to supply glasses in some urban areas. Taiohi will need to purchase their glasses from a preferred supplier if they are in the same area. If they don’t have a preferred supplier in their area, they can choose to use a non-preferred supplier or travel to a preferred supplier at their own cost.

List of preferred suppliers by region | Work and Income

Taiohi with high clinical needs

If taiohi need glasses that are more than the standard contract price, they may be able to get hardship assistance for a higher amount. Visit MAP to find out more.

Glasses – high clinical needs  | MAP

If a young person has an essential need that they can't use their payment card to meet, they can apply to have their balance transferred. The balance will either be paid to a third party, such as a landlord, or back onto the payment card for use at a specific supplier. 

Payment Card Balance Transfers | Youth Service Providers 

Taiohi may be able to get hardship assistance if they are in the stand-down period or in the process of applying for Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment. They will have will have to pay this back, from arrears if the benefit is granted or they will have a debt to MSD if the benefit is declined.

If they have received their maximum entitlement during the stand-down, they may be able to get other assistance, such as food grants. They will still need to qualify for any hardship assistance they apply for.

Assistance options while waiting for a benefit decision | MAP

There are a range of housing support products available to help young get housing or stay in it. 

You can learn more about these in the housing section of this website. 

housing products | Youth Service providers

1. Confirm the young person’s circumstances (eg family situation, ongoing costs, etc)
2. Check their details against their existing supplementary assistance. For example, do they receive or qualify for:
   • Accommodation Supplement
   • Disability Allowance
   • Temporary Additional Support
   • GCAP/Childcare Subsidy/OSCAR
   • Child Disability Allowance
   • Family Tax Credit
   • Advance Payment of Benefit
   • Training Incentive Allowance
3. Make sure their income and asset information is correct
4. Consider how the young person’s repayments for existing Work and Income debt could be adjusted to lessen or remove the need for hardship assistance.

Note: It is also important to consider how other agencies could help, eg Inland Revenue, or whether the young person might need support from community agencies, such as Budget Advice.