Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Disability allowance

89: Special disability allowance: entitlement in special circumstances

You could also call this:

“Extra money for couples when one partner is in hospital or care”

You can get a special disability allowance if you are in a relationship and receiving certain benefits, and your partner is in hospital or receiving certain care services. This allowance helps with expenses that come up when your partner is in hospital.

You might be eligible if you get New Zealand superannuation, a veteran’s pension, a supported living payment because you can’t work much or are blind, jobseeker support, or a related emergency benefit.

Your partner needs to be either in hospital and getting a reduced benefit, or getting some care services that are partly or fully paid for by the government.

If you qualify, the Ministry of Social Development will give you the special disability allowance. The amount you get is set out in the rules.

The law uses some special terms. A ‘qualifying person’ and a ‘special case person’ are defined in another law about residential care and disability support services.

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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=DLM6783285.

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Part 2 Assistance
Disability allowance

89Special disability allowance: entitlement in special circumstances

  1. This section applies to a person who—

  2. is in a relationship; and
    1. is receiving—
      1. New Zealand superannuation or a veteran’s pension; or
        1. a supported living payment on the ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness; or
          1. jobseeker support; or
            1. a related emergency benefit; and
            2. 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
                1. 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.

                2. 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.

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