Pursuant to section 124 (1) (d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister of Social Services and Employment establishes and approves the following welfare programme for special assistance.
Dated at Wellington this 18th day of December 2000.
STEVE MAHAREY, Minister of Social Services and Employment.
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P r o g r a m m e
1. Title-This is the Disability Assistance Programme.
2. Commencement-This programme comes into effect on 1 January 2001.
3. Purpose-The purpose of this programme is:
(a) to provide non-recoverable financial assistance to persons who would otherwise be eligible for a disability allowance under the Act if the income limits for that allowance were increased by 4.25%; and
(b) to ensure that the financial assistance set out in paragraph (a) is provided within the limits and for the reasons prescribed.
4. Interpretation-(1) In this programme, unless the context otherwise requires-
Act means the Social Security Act 1964;
disability allowance means a disability allowance under section 69C of the Act;
former programme means the Disability Assistance welfare programme established and approved on
27 March 2000;
income means income within the meaning of section 3 (1) of the Act modified in accordance with section 69C (1) (c) of the Act;
payment means a disability assistance payment, being the special assistance under this programme.
(2) Expressions otherwise defined in section 3 (1) of the Act have the meanings so defined.
5. Application of the Social Security Act-(1) Sections 3, 12, 62, 63, 64, 66, 66A, 66B, 68, 68A, 69H, 70, 71, 73, 74, 74A, 76, 77, 78, 80A, 81, 82 (except 82 (6)), 84, and 86J of the Act apply to this programme as if the special assistance under it were a benefit.
(2) Nothing in subclause (1) affects or limits any other section of the Act.
6. Disability assistance payment: eligibility-The chief executive may, on and after 1 January 2001, from time to time grant a disability assistance payment to any person who-
(a) would otherwise qualify for a disability allowance but for the amount of his or her income; and
(b) would qualify for a disability allowance if that income were reduced by 4.25%.
7. Disability assistance payment: rate-The amount of a payment on a weekly basis is the amount per week of a disability allowance that the person would from time to time receive if the person were qualified to receive a disability allowance.
8. Beginning and end of payments-Payments may be granted on and from the later of-
(a) the date the person became qualified for them; or
(b) the date the application for them was received.
(2) Despite subclause (1), payments for a person who was in receipt of disability assistance payments under the former programme may be granted without application on and from the first pay day after 1 January 2001.
(3) Grants of payments cease on the date the person-
(a) would cease to be qualified to receive a disability allowance for some reason other than the amount of his or her income; or
(b) becomes qualified to receive and is granted a disability allowance; or
(c) ceases to be eligible to be granted a payment under clause 6.
9. Revocation-The approval of the former programme is revoked.
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Explanatory Note
This note is not part of the programme, but is intended to explain its general effect.
This programme provides for special assistance payments equivalent to the amount of a disability allowance for certain people who are otherwise qualified for a disability allowance but for the amount of their income.
The programme effectively increases the income limits for disability allowance by 4.25%, with payments under the programme substituted for the disability allowance.
The programme commences on 1 January 2001.