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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Hardship assistance

96: Temporary additional support: requirements

You could also call this:

“Rules for getting extra money when you're short on cash”

You can get temporary additional support if you don’t have enough money to cover your basic needs. To qualify, you need to meet three conditions:

  1. Your income after expenses is less than what you need for essential costs.
  2. You don’t have more than a certain amount of cash savings.
  3. You meet any other rules set out in the law.

However, you can’t get this support for some types of care if you have a disability. This applies if the government is already paying for your accommodation or care through the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022.

If you do qualify for temporary additional support, the amount you get and how long you get it for will be decided by the rules.

Your eligibility for this support might change if you have debt or if you get money from health or disability insurance.

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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=DLM6783290.

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95: Temporary additional support: purpose, or

“Temporary extra money to help with basic costs when you're struggling”

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97: Temporary additional support: refusal, reduction, or cancellation of grant in certain circumstances, or

“You might get less or no extra money if you or your partner do certain things”

Part 2 Assistance
Hardship assistance

96Temporary additional support: requirements

  1. A person (P) is entitled to temporary additional support if—

  2. P’s chargeable income is less than P’s essential costs; and
    1. P has cash assets of not more than the prescribed amount; and
      1. P meets any prescribed criteria and any other requirements set out in regulations made under section 428.

        1. However, temporary additional support must not be granted in respect of the cost of residential care services supplied to a person who has a psychiatric, intellectual, physical, or sensory disability if—

        2. the person’s accommodation costs are wholly or partly funded under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022; or
          1. the person’s care (other than care in the person’s own home) is wholly or partly funded under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022.

            1. Temporary additional support granted under subsection (1) must be granted in the prescribed amount and for the prescribed period.

            2. This section is subject to clause 20 (how commitments for temporary additional support may be affected by debt, or health or disability, insurance payment) of Schedule 3.

            Compare
            Notes
            • Section 96(2)(a): amended, on , by section 104 of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 (2022 No 30).
            • Section 96(2)(b): amended, on , by section 104 of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 (2022 No 30).