Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Disability allowance

89: Special disability allowance: entitlement in special circumstances

You could also call this:

"Help with expenses when your partner is in hospital and you're on a benefit"

You might get a special disability allowance if you are in a relationship and get certain benefits. You must be getting a benefit like New Zealand superannuation, a veteran's pension, or jobseeker support. Your spouse or partner must be in hospital and getting a reduced benefit under section 19 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 or under section 206.

You might also get this allowance if your spouse or partner is a qualifying person or a special case person and someone is paying for their care services under the Residential Care and Disability Support Services Act 2018. The Ministry of Social Development must give you this allowance to help with expenses when your spouse or partner is in hospital. You can get this allowance at a certain rate, which is specified in Part 9 of Schedule 4.

In this situation, a qualifying person and a special case person have the same meanings as in section 5 of the Residential Care and Disability Support Services Act 2018.

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This page was last updated on 19 July 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783285.

Topics:

Money and consumer rights > Banking and loansHealth and wellbeing > Healthcare servicesFamily and relationships > Marriage and partnerships

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Part 2Assistance
Disability allowance

89Special disability allowance: entitlement in special circumstances

This section applies to a person who—
is in a relationship; and
is receiving—
1. New Zealand superannuation or a veteran’s pension; or
2. a supported living payment on the ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness; or
3. jobseeker support; or
4. a related emergency benefit; and
has a spouse or partner who is—
1. a patient in a hospital and receiving a reduced benefit under section 19 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 or under section 206; or
2. a qualifying person or a special case person, and in respect of whom a funder is paying some or all of the cost of contracted care services under section 18, 24, 26, 54, or 55 of the Residential Care and Disability Support Services Act 2018.

MSD must grant a special disability allowance at the rate specified in clause 3 in Part 9 of Schedule 4 to a person to whom this section applies for the purpose of assisting with expenses arising from the hospitalisation of the person’s spouse or partner.
In this section, qualifying person and special case person have the same meanings as in section 5 of the Residential Care and Disability Support Services Act 2018.

Compare

1964 No 136 s 69C(5)

Notes

Section 89(1)(c): replaced, on 9 November 2020, by section 36(1) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 36).
Section 89(3): inserted, on 9 November 2020, by section 36(2) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 36).