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Social Security Act 2018

Enforcement: sanctions and offences - Sanctions for breach of obligations other than young person or young parent obligations - Hierarchy of sanctions

234: Hierarchy of sanctions

You could also call this:

“Different punishments for breaking benefit rules”

When you don’t follow the rules for your benefit, there are consequences. These consequences get more serious if you break the rules more than once.

If you break the rules for the first time, your benefit will be reduced. This means you’ll get less money.

If you break the rules a second time, your benefit will be suspended. This means you won’t get any money for a while.

If you break the rules a third time, your benefit will be cancelled. This means you won’t get any more money from that benefit.

The government agency called MSD (Ministry of Social Development) has to follow these rules when deciding what to do if you don’t follow the benefit rules.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783620.

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233: Obligations that carry sanction for failure to comply, or

“Rules you must follow or you might lose your benefit”

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235: Failure, and first, second, and third failure, defined for obligations other than young person or young parent obligations, or

“Explaining what happens when you don't follow the rules, and how many times you can break them”

Part 5 Enforcement: sanctions and offences
Sanctions for breach of obligations other than young person or young parent obligations: Hierarchy of sanctions

234Hierarchy of sanctions

  1. The sanction that MSD must impose under section 232(1) is,—

  2. for a first failure, reduction in a main benefit:
    1. for a second failure, suspension of a main benefit:
      1. for a third failure, cancellation of a main benefit.

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