other support we offer

absence from new zealand

A young person can continue to be paid a payment while they are absent from New Zealand for any reason if the travel will not prevent them from continuing to meet their youth activity obligations (eg because they are attending school and the travel is during the school holidays and they do not need to be in New Zealand to meet any of their other obligations during the travel period).

Where they meet the criteria for approved travel they can continue to receive their payment for a period of up to 28 days in any 52 week period if:

• the payment would continue to be paid except for them having left New Zealand
• the absences do not affect the young persons eligibility for the payment
• they have notified MSD of their intention to temporarily leave New Zealand.

Young people must tell us before travelling overseas

All young people (including partners) must let us know if they're going overseas before they go. This can be done with their youth coach, on the MyMSD app, or over the phone with MSD.

Note: MSD is only able to record future travel plans within 8 weeks of the departure date. Please make sure the young person tells MSD within the 8 week pre-departure period.

What happens if the young person doesn't tell us before they leave?

Payments will stop from the day after the young person leaves New Zealand if they don't tell MSD.

Most young people who don't tell MSD they're leaving can't have their payments backdated when they return. There are some limited situations when payments may be backdated including:

• they didn't tell us before leaving for humanitarian reasons
• they did tell us, but their return date changed due to circumstances outside of their control (for example, cancelled flights).

unsupported child’s benefit or orphan’s benefit

If a young person is 18 years of age or older and they are caring for a child who is not their own they may be eligible for an Unsupported Child's Benefit or Orphan's Benefit.

Unsupported Child's Benefit

Unsupported Child’s Benefit can be paid to a young person when they are caring for a child and they are not:

• the child's natural parent, adoptive parent or step-parent and
• there is no natural parent, adoptive parent or step-parent able to care for the child because of a breakdown in the child's family.

To determine if there has been a breakdown in the child’s family, a family breakdown assessment with the Independent Assessment Provider is required. YSSU will manage the referral process to the Independent Assessment Provider and determine if the client is eligible for Unsupported Child’s Benefit. If the child is aged 13 years or younger, YSSU will refer the young person to the local Work and Income office to conduct the family meeting.

Orphan's Benefit

Orphan’s Benefit can be paid to a client when they are caring for a child and they are not:

• their natural or adoptive parent.
• the child's parents must either be deceased, or
• cannot be found or,
• they suffer from a serious long-term illness or incapacity, which makes them unable to care for their child.

For more information about the eligibility criteria for Unsupported Child’s Benefit or Orphan’s Benefit, please refer to MAP in the Work and Income website.

• Unsupported Child's Benefit
• Orphan's Benefit

death of a young person

When a young person (with no children) dies, payment generally stops from the day after the date of death, but there is some discretion to continue payment for up to 28 days.

Payment should stop from the first available date if we have been notified within 28 days of the date of death. This will avoid creating a debt.

When there are other circumstances that justify payment of terminal benefit, payment should continue for the full 28 days after death.

Terminal benefit

Terminal Benefit is paid for 28 days following the death of a young person when there is a surviving partner and/or children. Where the payment is being paid to a couple, both the deceased young person and the surviving partner's portion of the payment should be paid (where the surviving partner or child is not receiving a survivor’s grant from ACC).

Payment is the total benefit payment including any supplementary assistance (excluding Family Tax Credit), and will be paid at the following:

• supplementary assistance continues at the same rate that was paid at the time of the person’s death for 28 days.
• benefit payment may increase if there is a change in the income threshold at some point of the 28 days that terminal benefit is paid.

However, in some cases it would be financially beneficial for the surviving partner to get a benefit in their own right, rather than continue to receive their portion of their main benefit payment for 28 days. Where this is the case, the surviving partner may be granted the benefit in their own right and any supplementary assistance from the date after their partner’s death. The deceased person’s portion of the benefit or pension and any supplementary assistance they were receiving at time of death is still paid for the 28 day period.

Cost of funeral

The person responsible for the cost of the funeral may be able to get a Funeral Grant to help cover the costs. 

Funeral Grant – Work and Income