Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Unsupported child’s benefit

46: Unsupported child’s benefit: requirements

You could also call this:

“Rules for getting money to help care for a child whose family can't look after them”

You can get an unsupported child’s benefit if you’re taking care of a child whose family has broken down. This means the child doesn’t have a parent who can look after them or fully support them financially.

For this benefit, a parent can be the child’s birth parent, adoptive parent, or step-parent.

To get the benefit, you need to be the child’s eligible caregiver. Also, either the child must live in New Zealand, or you must have lived in New Zealand for at least 12 months in a row at some point in your life.

This benefit is meant to help you support a child when their own family can’t take care of them properly.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS5963.

Topics:
Family and relationships > Children and parenting
Money and consumer rights > Banking and loans
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45: Orphan’s benefit to be used for benefit of child, or

“Money for orphans must be used to take care of the child”

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47: Who is eligible caregiver, or

“When you can be called a main caregiver for a child”

Part 2 Assistance
Unsupported child’s benefit

46Unsupported child’s benefit: requirements

  1. This section applies if, because of the circumstances specified in subsection (2), a child has no parent (as defined in subsection (3)) who is able to—

  2. care for the child; or
    1. provide fully for the child’s support.

      1. The circumstances are that there has been a breakdown in the child’s family.

      2. A parent, in relation to a child, and for the purposes only of this subpart and section 31(b)(ii), means a natural parent, an adoptive parent, or a step-parent of the child.

      3. A person (P) is entitled to an unsupported child’s benefit for the child if—

      4. P is an eligible caregiver of the child; and
        1. either—
          1. the child is both resident and present in New Zealand; or
            1. P has been both resident and present in New Zealand for a continuous period of 12 months at any time.

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