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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Supported living payment - Supported living payment on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness

37: Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness: medical examination

You could also call this:

“Medical check-up for people who can't work much or are blind and want financial help”

If you apply for or receive a supported living payment because you can’t work much or are totally blind, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) might ask you to see a doctor. You and MSD will try to agree on which doctor you’ll see. If you can’t agree, MSD will choose the doctor.

The doctor will check if you really can’t work much or if you’re totally blind. They’ll write a report for MSD about what they find. In the report, the doctor will say if they’re sure about your condition or if they’re not sure. They’ll also explain why they think that.

If the doctor isn’t sure about your condition, they might suggest a date to check on you again. Even if they are sure, they can still suggest a date to check on you later.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783180.

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36: Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness: ineligibility, or

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Part 2 Assistance
Supported living payment: Supported living payment on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness

37Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness: medical examination

  1. This section applies to a person (P) who is an applicant for, or who is receiving, a supported living payment on the ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness.

  2. MSD may at any time require P to undergo an examination by a prescribed health practitioner.

  3. The prescribed health practitioner must be agreed for the purpose between P and MSD or, failing agreement, must be nominated by MSD.

  4. The prescribed health practitioner must prepare, and must send MSD a copy of, a report that indicates—

  5. whether P is (or whether there is doubt about whether P is)—
    1. permanently and severely restricted in P’s capacity for work; or
      1. totally blind; and
      2. the grounds on which the opinion given in paragraph (a) is based.

        1. The report must, in the case of doubt referred to in subsection (4)(a), and may, in any other case, indicate a date for review of the permanency or severity, or both, of P’s health condition, injury, or disability.

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