transition to work grant and dress for success

transition to work grant

Transition to Work Grant is a payment that can be made to help meet the additional costs of entering into employment.

Who can get it

For 16-17 year olds, young people will need to be either:

• relying on another kind of Government assistance (eg, Youth Payment)
• have a child or partner who is dependent on them
• be in extreme hardship, or
• have an Early Leaving Exemption from school.

For young people who are 18 or older, they will need to be

• looking for paid work of 30 hours or more a week, or 20 hours or more a week if they are a sole parent
• a New Zealand citizen or resident
• looking for or starting a job in New Zealand, not overseas
• and either:
  • getting a main benefit 
  • registered with MSD as a job seeker
  • registered with Student Job Search 
  • qualify for a main benefit and have an interview or job offer, or
  • have a short gap between jobs.

How much can they get

There are maximum amounts payable depending on the type of employment transition costs the young person has.

Job Search

This assistance is used to help young people meet the essential, actual and reasonable costs of seeking paid employment and participating in a job interview. Clothing, childcare and transport are some examples of costs covered.

Job Placement

This assistance covers the essential, actual and reasonable costs required to start paid work. Examples of costs covered are: clothing and footwear, relocation and transport.

Bridging Finance

Young people entering full-time employment can apply for bridging finance to cover their essential living expenses (such as board or rent, and power). Bridging finance covers the period between the young person's last benefit payment and their first payment of wages, or their last payment of wages in their old job and their first payment of wages in their new job, up to a maximum of four weeks.

For up to date rates on a Transition to Work Grant refer to MAP on the Work and Income website.

Transition to Work Grant rates | MAP

What you need to do

Step one – Talk to the young person to determine what support they need

When discussing Transition to Work costs you should cover:

• What is the best option to meet their need.
• Whether or not the costs are essential for them to look for, participate in a job interview and/or to start work.
• If the employer is responsible for providing the items (for example safety equipment and uniforms).

This will confirm:

• Why they are applying for Transition to Work (they have a job interview/or starting working).
• What they need the assistance for (clothing, removing tattoos, transport, Bridging Finance).
• The amount of financial assistance.

Step two – Support the young person to fill in the application form

Transition to work grant application – LAB995W

Step three – Complete the ART tasks

You'll need to submit both:

• an income task, employment details task or a start/stop payments task
  Task category: Reviews
  Task type: Income Details, Employment Details or Start or Stop payments
• and a Transition to Work task.
  Task category: Hardship Assistance
  Task type: Transition to work grant

Next steps

YSSU will contact you or push the task back to you if they need more information.
YSSU will send you a notification via ART to let you know the outcome of the application.