Pursuant to section 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister for Social Development and Employment makes the following amendment to the Special Needs Grants Programme (as established and approved on
18 December 1998*).
Dated at Wellington this 25th day of June 2007.
HON. DAVID BENSON POPE, Minister for Social Development and Employment.
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A m e n d m e n t
1. Title—This amendment is the Special Needs Grants Amendment 2007.
2. Commencement—This amendment comes into effect on 2 July 2007.
3. Programme amended—This amendment amends the Special Needs Grants Programme.
4. Beneficiaries transferring between benefits—Clause 16.3 is revoked.
5. New clause inserted—The following clause is inserted after clause 16:
“16A Transfer compensation grants
16A.1 Where, after 1 July 2007, the chief executive determines to change the pay day of a specified benefit from a fortnightly pay day to a weekly
pay day, the chief executive may make one
non-recoverable grant of not more than the amount in clause 16A.2 to a beneficiary receiving that benefit as compensation for any loss incurred by the beneficiary as a result of the change.
16A.2 The amount referred to in clause 16A.1 is the higher of the following amounts:
(a) the total of—
(i) the weekly amount of the specified benefit payable to the beneficiary:
(ii) the weekly amount of any other benefit or periodic payment (not being an excluded payment) that is payable to the beneficiary together with the specified benefit:
(b) if the department has, before the selected day, made an estimate of the amount referred to in paragraph (a) and, on the basis of that estimate, has notified the beneficiary in writing of the amount of compensation he or she will receive, the notified amount.
16A.3 In calculating the amount referred to in clause 16A.2(a), the chief executive must—
(a) calculate it in relation to the beneficiary’s circumstances known to the department on the selected day; and
(b) disregard any deduction from any benefit under section 86(1)(b) of the Act or any deduction notice.
16A.4 Nothing in Part 2 prevents a grant being made under this clause.
16A.5 In this clause, —
excluded payment means any payment under the Social Security (Working for Families—Transitional Supplement) Regulations 2004
selected day means a day (being a day in the week before the change in pay day takes effect) selected by the chief executive in relation to a particular beneficiary or beneficiaries of a stated kind or description
specified benefit means any of the following benefits:
(a) a domestic purposes benefit:
(b) the emergency benefit known as emergency maintenance allowance:
(c) an invalid’s benefit:
(d) an orphan’s benefit:
(e) an unsupported child’s benefit:
(f) a widow’s benefit.”
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Explanatory Note
This note is not part of the amendment but is intended to indicate its general effect.
This amendment to the Special Needs Grants Programme, which comes into effect on 2 July 2007, provides for the payment of one non-recoverable grant as compensation for any loss incurred by a beneficiary as a result of the transfer from a fortnightly pay day to a weekly pay day.
*New Zealand Gazette, 28 January 1999, No. 8, page 202