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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

General provisions

5: Guide to this Act

You could also call this:

“This Act explains how to get help from the government and what you need to do”

This Act is divided into eight parts, and here’s what each part covers:

Part 1 explains important words and ideas used in the Act.

Part 2 talks about the different types of help you can get. This includes main assistance like jobseeker support and sole parent support, as well as extra help like accommodation supplement and childcare assistance.

Part 3 explains what you need to do to get help, and what the government needs to do for you.

Part 4 talks about things that can change how much help you get, like if you’re in hospital or overseas.

Part 5 explains what happens if you don’t follow the rules, and what the punishments are.

Part 6 is about how the government runs the system, like how to apply for help and how you get paid.

Part 7 tells you what to do if you disagree with a decision about your help.

Part 8 has other important information about the Act.

There’s also a list at the end that explains all the special words used in the Act.

This Act is mostly a new version of older laws. It’s meant to do the same things as those old laws, but it’s written in a clearer way. However, there are some small changes, which you can find in a special list called Schedule 11.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783123.

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4: Principles, or

“Main ideas for helping people with jobs and money”

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6: Definitions are in dictionary in Schedule 2, or

“Words you don't know are explained in a special section”

Part 1 General provisions

5Guide to this Act

  1. Part 1 contains general provisions (for example, on definitions).

  2. Part 2 contains provisions on assistance, as follows:

    Main assistance

  3. jobseeker support:
    1. sole parent support:
      1. supported living payment—
        1. on the ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness; or
          1. on the ground of caring for another person:
          2. orphan’s benefit:
            1. unsupported child’s benefit:
              1. youth payment:
                1. young parent payment:
                  1. emergency benefit:

                      1. Supplementary assistance

                    1. accommodation supplement:
                      1. winter energy payment:
                        1. childcare assistance:
                          1. child disability allowance:
                            1. disability allowance:
                              1. funeral grants:

                                  1. Hardship assistance

                                1. temporary additional support:

                                    1. Special assistance

                                  1. special assistance for visitors affected by overseas epidemics:
                                    1. approved special assistance programmes (see the guide in section 15).

                                      1. Part 3 contains provisions on obligations (for example, MSD’s obligations, and each beneficiary’s obligations—see the guide in section 104).

                                      2. Part 4 contains provisions on factors affecting benefits (for example, insurance, entitlement to overseas pensions, shared care of a dependent child, hospitalisation, being in custody in prison or on remand, and absence from New Zealand—see the guide in section 183).

                                      3. Part 5 contains provisions on enforcement, sanctions, and offences (for example, sanctions for failing to meet obligations—see the guide in section 231).

                                      4. Part 6 contains provisions on administration (for example, on applications for and granting of benefits, reviews of entitlement, when benefits commence and end or expire, how benefits are paid, tax on benefits, debts and deductions, notices and communications, and reciprocity agreements with other countries—see the guide in section 296).

                                      5. Part 7 contains provisions on reviews and appeals (reviews by benefits review committees and appeals to the appeal authority, to the courts, or to the medical board—see the guide in section 390).

                                      6. Part 8 contains other provisions (for example, on powers to make regulations or orders, repeals and revocations, and consequential amendments—see the guide in section 416).

                                      7. Schedule 2 lists all terms defined for purposes of this Act, and sets out, or indicates where to find, the definitions.

                                      8. The provisions of this Act, as section 9 indicates, are generally—

                                      9. the provisions of specified former 1964 and 1990 enactments in rewritten form; and
                                        1. intended to have the same effect as the corresponding provisions of those former enactments.

                                          1. Subsection (10) is overridden by section 9(6) (which relates to identified changes in legislation that are specified in Schedule 11, and to amendments to this Act that are made after the beginning of 26 November 2018).

                                          Notes
                                          • Section 5(4): amended, on , by section 4 of the Social Assistance Legislation (Budget 2019 Welfare Package) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 23).