Pursuant to section 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister for Social Development establishes and approves the following welfare programme for special assistance.
P r o g r a m m e
1. Title-This programme is the Orphan's and Unsupported Child's Benefit (Additional Assistance) Programme.
2. Commencement-This programme comes into force on 13 January 2014.
3. Purpose-The purpose of this programme is to provide financial assistance to help meet certain additional costs of caring for children for whom an orphan's benefit or an unsupported child's benefit is payable.
4. Interpretation-(1) In this programme, unless the context otherwise requires:
Act means the Social Security Act 1964
CYPF Act means the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989
establishment grant means the special assistance under clause 6
home for life status means the care, pursuant to a sole guardianship or a custody order under the CYPF Act, or additional guardianship and parenting orders under the Care of Children Act 2004, of a dependent child who was formerly in the care or custody of the chief executive (within the meaning of the CYPF Act) or a body or organisation approved under section 396 of the CYPF Act
school and year start up payment means the special assistance under clause 9.
(2) Terms otherwise defined in section 3(1) of the Act have the same meanings in this programme.
5. Application of the Social Security Act-(1) Sections 12, 62, 63, 63A, 74, 74A, 76, 77, 80AA, 80A, 81, 82(1), (3) to (5), 84, and 86J of the Act apply to and in respect of the following as if the special assistance under this programme were a benefit under the Act:
(a) this programme;
(b) an applicant;
(c) the applicant's spouse or partner (if any).
(2) Nothing in subclause (1) affects the application of any other provision of the Act.
6. Establishment grant-(1) The chief executive must, on the commencement of an orphan's benefit or an unsupported child's benefit under section 28 or 29 of the Act in respect of a dependent child, make a grant called an establishment grant to the principal caregiver of the child for the purpose of helping to meet the up-front costs of the child entering the caregiver's home for the purpose of care.
(2) Subclause (1) is subject to subclause (3) and clause 7.
(3) An establishment grant must not be made in respect of a dependent child if:
(a) either the principal caregiver or his or her spouse or partner has at any time previously received an establishment grant in respect of the dependent child for whom the orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit is payable; or
(b) the orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit is granted to the principal caregiver within a period of 28 days after the termination or cancellation of a previous orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit that had been granted to the principal caregiver or his or her spouse or partner in respect of the dependent child.
(4) No application is required by the principal caregiver for a grant under subclause (1).
7. Home for life caregivers generally ineligible for establishment grant-An establishment grant must not be made if either the principal caregiver or his or her spouse or partner has previously received or been approved to receive a payment for achieving home for life status in respect of the child for whom an orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit is payable.
8. Amount of establishment grant-(1) The amount of an establishment grant is a single payment of $350.00.
(2) The amount of the grant is not subject to abatement on account of income.
9. School and year start up payment-(1) The chief executive may make a grant each year, called a school and year start up payment, to the principal caregiver of a dependent child in respect of whom an orphan's benefit or an unsupported child's benefit has been granted for the purpose of assisting with costs incurred involved with caring for the child.
(2) Subclause (1) is subject to subclauses (3) to (5).
(3) No grant may be made under subclause (1) unless:
(a) the orphans benefit or unsupported child's benefit is payable in respect of the child as at the last day of February in a year; or
(b) the orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit would be payable in respect of the child as at that day but for the child's temporary absence from
New Zealand.
(4) No grant may be made under subclause (1) unless the department has received, within the period specified in subclause (6):
(a) an application form (provided by the chief executive for the purpose) completed by or on behalf of the applicant and his or her spouse or partner (if any) to the chief executive's satisfaction; and
(b) any supporting evidence reasonably required by the chief executive.
(5) If the chief executive considers that a good and sufficient reason exists, the chief executive may receive and act on an application form or supporting evidence received after the end of the period specified in subclause (6).
(6) The period referred to in subclauses (4) and (5) is the period commencing on the first Monday after 10 January in a year and ending on the last day in February of that year.
10. Rates of school and year start up payment-(1) The amount of a school and year start up payment is set out in the Schedule.
(2) For the purpose of the Schedule, the age of a child is the child's age as at the last day of February in each year.
(3) The payment is not subject to abatement on account of income.
Schedule
Cl 10
Rates of school and year start up payments
The amount of a school and year start up payment is:
(a) In the year commencing 1 January 2014:
$250.00 for a child aged under 5 years;
$300.00 for a child aged not less than 5 years and under 10 years;
$350.00 for a child aged not less than 10 years and under 14 years;
$400.00 for a child aged 14 or more years.
(b) In the year commencing 1 January 2015 and each subsequent year:
$400.00 for a child aged under 5 years;
$450.00 for a child aged not less than 5 years and under
10 years;
$500.00 for a child aged not less than 10 years and under
14 years;
$550.00 for a child aged 14 or more years.
Dated at Wellington this 16th day of December 2013.
HON PAULA BENNETT, Minister for Social Development.
Explanatory Note
This note is not part of the programme, but is intended to indicate its general effect.
This programme provides for additional financial assistance to persons receiving orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit for the care of a child.
A one-off establishment grant of $350.00 is payable to a principal caregiver who is granted an orphan's benefit or an unsupported child's benefit in respect of a dependent child who has entered the caregiver's care. This payment is in recognition that there are usually significant one-off costs that arise when a child first enters the carer's home, including bed, bedding and clothing.
The establishment grant is only paid once to each caregiver and his or her spouse or partner in respect of the child. It is not payable if the orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit is granted within a period of 28 days after a previous orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit payable to the caregiver or his or her spouse or partner in respect of the child was terminated or cancelled.
Carers who have received or have been approved to receive a home for life payment for a child will not be eligible to receive an establishment grant in respect of that child because carers who have home for life status already receive financial support.
The school and year start up payment is a non-taxable payment for orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit recipients. It is available upon application at the beginning of the school year but only if the orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit is payable on the last day of February or would be payable but for the child's temporary absence from New Zealand.
The payment recognises that carers can face significant costs at the start of the year, such as school fees and uniforms.
To be eligible for the payment, carers must apply during the period commencing on the first Monday after 10 January and ending on the last Friday in February in a year. No applications for the payment will be considered outside that period unless a good and sufficient reason exists.