53: Youth payment: discretionary grant on ground of hardship
You could also call this:
“Extra help for young people in tough times”
If you are a young person who needs financial help, you might be able to get a youth payment. You need to meet certain requirements to get this payment. However, even if you don’t meet all the requirements, you might still be able to get the payment if you are in a difficult situation.
The government agency called MSD (Ministry of Social Development) can decide to give you a youth payment if you are having a hard time. They can do this even if you don’t meet the usual rule about where you live. But for this to happen, you need to be in three situations at the same time:
First, you must be struggling financially and finding it hard to get by. Second, you can’t be getting any other main benefit from the government, or New Zealand superannuation, or a veteran’s pension. And third, you must not be able to earn enough money to support yourself and your partner (if you have one).
If all these things are true for you, MSD might decide to give you a youth payment to help you out, even if you don’t meet all the usual rules.
