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Social Security Act 2018

Administration - Commencement, stand downs, ending, and expiry and regrant - Expiry and regrant of specified benefits

335: MSD must notify or advise beneficiary

You could also call this:

“MSD must let you know when your benefit is ending and how to reapply”

The government agency called MSD must tell you about your benefit ending at least 20 working days before it happens. They will send you a notice that says:

  • Your benefit will stop unless you apply for it again and it’s approved.
  • The date when your benefit will stop.
  • What you need to do to apply again, and when you need to do it by.

Sometimes, MSD doesn’t have to send this notice. This happens if your benefit is:

  • Stopped for a short time because you’re doing temporary work.
  • Not being paid right now, like if you’re in prison or overseas.
  • Stopped for other reasons in the law.

If any of these reasons stop being true before your benefit is supposed to end, MSD will try to tell you as soon as they can about reapplying for your benefit.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783818.

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334: Exemptions, or

“When MSD can decide your benefit doesn't need to end”

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336: Requirements for regrant, or

“Rules for getting your benefit back after it has ended”

Part 6 Administration
Commencement, stand downs, ending, and expiry and regrant: Expiry and regrant of specified benefits

335MSD must notify or advise beneficiary

  1. MSD must, not less than 20 working days before the expiry date for a specified benefit, give the affected beneficiary a notice that states—

  2. that entitlement to that benefit will cease unless the beneficiary reapplies for that benefit and it is regranted; and
    1. the date on which entitlement to that benefit will cease; and
      1. what the beneficiary must do to reapply for that benefit, and the period within which the beneficiary must do so.

        1. Subsection (1) does not apply if, at the time that MSD is required to give a notice under that subsection, the specified benefit—

        2. is suspended because the beneficiary is undertaking temporary employment; or
          1. is not for the time being payable under this Act, for example, under—
            1. section 217 (benefit not payable during custody in prison or on remand); or
              1. section 219 (general rule: benefit not payable while beneficiary absent from New Zealand); or
              2. is suspended under any provision of this Act other than section 237 (sanction for second failure: suspension of main benefit).

                1. However, if at any time before the expiry date for that benefit any of the circumstances described in subsection (2) no longer exist, MSD must, as soon as practicable, take reasonable steps to advise the beneficiary of the matters set out in subsection (1)(a) to (c).

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