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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Emergency benefit

64: Emergency benefit: grant during epidemic in New Zealand

You could also call this:

“Extra money during a big sickness in New Zealand”

When there’s a serious illness spreading in New Zealand, the government can give extra help to people. This help is called an emergency benefit. The government can give this benefit to people who normally wouldn’t get it.

You can get this emergency benefit while there’s an official notice about the illness. The government can also keep giving this benefit for a while after the notice ends.

The Minister, who is an important person in the government, needs to agree in writing before anyone can get this emergency benefit. The Minister can also decide to keep giving the benefit for longer if they think it’s needed.

The money you get from this emergency benefit follows special rules. These rules are written in another part of the law.

If the Minister decides to keep giving the benefit for longer, they have to tell everyone officially. This is called making a notice, and it’s a type of law.

This part of the law is very important. It can change how other parts of the law work when there’s a serious illness spreading.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783240.

Topics:
Money and consumer rights > Banking and loans
Government and voting > Emergency management
Health and wellbeing > Public health
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Part 2 Assistance
Emergency benefit

64Emergency benefit: grant during epidemic in New Zealand

  1. This section applies while a domestic epidemic management notice is in force, and for any period notified under subsection (3A).

  2. When this section applies, MSD may, with the written approval of the Minister, grant emergency benefits to people who would not otherwise be entitled to be granted emergency benefits.

  3. Payments made under a benefit granted under subsection (2) are subject to regulations made under section 442(2)(d).

  4. The Minister may, by notice, apply this section for any further period after a domestic epidemic management notice expires that the Minister thinks reasonable.

  5. A notice under subsection (3A) is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

  6. This section overrides every other provision of this Act.

Compare
Notes
  • Section 64(1): amended, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
  • Section 64(3A): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
  • Section 64(3B): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).