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Social Security Act 2018

Factors affecting benefits - Guide to this Part

183: What this Part does

You could also call this:

“This part explains things that can change your benefit”

This part of the law explains things that can affect your benefit. These things include:

You might need to do some activities before you can get a benefit. You might get money from insurance. You might be able to get a pension from another country. If you share care of a child, it might affect your benefit. If you get compensation or damages, it could change your benefit. Getting a veteran’s payment might affect your benefit. Your benefit might change if you get a personal benefit that’s not for your spouse or partner. Making a claim for maintenance or family protection could affect your benefit. Your benefit might be different if you don’t usually live in New Zealand. Being a refugee or protected person could affect your benefit. Going to hospital might change your benefit. Getting treatment for alcohol or drugs might affect it. If there’s a warrant for your arrest, it could affect your benefit. Being in prison or on remand might change your benefit. Leaving New Zealand could affect it. If you quit your job or lose it because of bad behaviour, it might affect your benefit. There might be times when you can’t get a benefit, have to wait before you can get it, or your benefit is stopped completely.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783486.

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182: Obligations suspended where MSD has exercised discretion to pay benefit while beneficiary overseas, or

“Your benefit rules are paused if MSD lets you keep getting money while overseas”

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184: Regulations may prescribe pre-benefit activities, or

“The government can make rules about tasks you might need to do before getting money help”

Part 4 Factors affecting benefits
Guide to this Part

183What this Part does

  1. This Part sets out the factors that may affect a benefit.

  2. The factors affecting a benefit are:

  3. pre-benefit activities:
    1. insurance recovery:
      1. entitlement to an overseas pension:
          1. shared care of a dependent child:
            1. compensation or damages:
              1. the grant of a veteran’s entitlement:
                1. a personal benefit excluding a benefit on behalf of a spouse or partner:
                  1. a maintenance claim:
                    1. a family protection claim:
                      1. not being ordinarily resident in New Zealand:
                        1. refugee or protected person status:
                          1. hospitalisation:
                            1. alcohol and drug treatment:
                              1. the issue of a warrant for a beneficiary’s arrest:
                                1. custody in prison or on remand:
                                  1. absence from New Zealand:
                                      1. voluntary unemployment or loss of employment through misconduct, etc:
                                        1. a non-entitlement period, stand down, or 100% suspension of benefit.

                                          Notes
                                          • Section 183(2)(d): repealed, on , by section 5 of the Social Assistance Legislation (Budget 2019 Welfare Package) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 23).
                                          • Section 183(2)(r): repealed, on , by section 6 of the Social Security (Subsequent Child Policy Removal) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 38).