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Grant directory

Apprenticeship boost

  • Can be recoverable if conditions are not followed

  • $500 per month during the eligible apprentice's first 24 months of study (max of $12,000

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Image by Phill Brown

Domestic Violence and Witness Protection (relocation) Programme

  • Non-recoverable travel grant to relocate overseas

  • Non-recoverable set-up grant to assist with costs associated with establishing life in relocation country

  • Non-recoverable living expenses grants

  • The above grants are not available for those under New Zealand police witness protection programme

  • Grants may become recoverable if not used for the intended purpose

Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Programme

  • Improving client outcomes and assisting with the transition to employment

  • May be weekly payments but can be a one-off grant in some circumstances 

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Image by Athithan Vignakaran

Funeral Grant

  • The maximum amount available is $2,559.20

Orphans and Unsupported Child’s Benefit Programme

  • Establishment grant

  • $350 one-off payment 

  • Also available - School and year start-up payments (rates dependant on the age of the child)

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Seasonal Work Assistance Programme

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  • Non-recoverable (You don't need to pay this back)

Sole Parent Study Assistance Programme

  • Recoverable (You will need to pay this back)

  • $500 per calendar year

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Special needs grants for emergency housing

Recoverable (You will need to pay this back)

  • People in need of emergency housing

  • Security deposit 

  • Emergency housing contribution

Student Allowance Transfer Grant Programme

Non-recoverable (You don't need to pay this back)

  • Amount equivalent to the working-age benefit that would be payable to the applicant

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Transition to Work

Non-recoverable (You don't need to pay this back)

  • Up to $1500 in a 52-week period

$5K to Work

  • Must be repaid if obligations are not met 

  • Must be relocating to take up employment that can be proven to last over 91 days 

  • Employment must be 30 hours per week minimum and if not client must be able to support themselves for more than 91 days without a main benefit

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Image by Leonie Clough

Housing support program

Bond grant 

  • Recoverable - You must pay this back

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Moving costs grant

  • Recoverable - You must pay this back

  • Max amount $1500

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Rent in advance grant

  • Recoverable - You must pay this back

 

Rent arrears

  • Recoverable - You must pay this back

 

Tenancy costs grant

  • Money owing to the landlord that is in excess of the bond paid

  • Conditional

  • Must be paid back to MSD

 

Transition to alternative housing grant

  • Moving from social housing to alternative housing

  • Non-recoverable - You do not need to pay this back

  • Conditional

Recoverable Assistance Payments

For needs considered both immediate and essential

 

Can cover things such as:

  • Ambulance subscriptions

  • Attendance at funerals (up to $200)

  • Basic furniture

  • Car repairs (up to $400)

  • Child restraints and safety harnesses (up to $200)

  • Clothing ($150 for a single person with no dependent child, $300 for a couple with no dependent child, $400 for a couple or sole parent with dependent child)

  • Dentures and hearing aids (up to $1000)

  • Driver licensing

  • Emergency payments - special circumstances (up to $200)

  • Emergency household needs - outstanding bills (up to $200)

  • Loss of property from fire or theft (up to $1000)

  • Power or gas bills

  • Glasses (up to $1000)

  • School costs such as fees and stationary (up to $200) and uniforms (up to $300)

  • Telephone installation (up to $200)

Recoverable Assistance Payments

For needs considered both immediate and essential

 

Can cover things such as:

  • Ambulance subscriptions

  • Attendance at funerals (up to $200)

  • Basic furniture

  • Car repairs (up to $400)

  • Child restraints and safety harnesses (up to $200)

  • Clothing ($150 for a single person with no dependent child, $300 for a couple with no dependent child, $400 for a couple or sole parent with dependent child)

  • Dentures and hearing aids (up to $1000)

  • Driver licensing

  • Emergency payments - special circumstances (up to $200)

  • Emergency household needs - outstanding bills (up to $200)

  • Loss of property from fire or theft (up to $1000)

  • Power or gas bills

  • Glasses (up to $1000)

  • School costs such as fees and stationary (up to $200) and uniforms (up to $300)

  • Telephone installation (up to $200)

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Special Needs Grants
non-recoverable for essential needs

  • Food grants - one per 26 week entitlement

    • $200 for a single person with no dependent children 

    • $300 for a couple with no dependent children

    • $450 for a couple or sole parent with 1 or 2 dependent children

    • $550 for a couple or sole parent with 3 or more dependent children 

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  • Grant for termination of pregnancy or vasectomy

    • Up to $300

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  • Removal of birthmarks

    • Up to $300 

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  • Wigs and hairpieces - on the grounds of a medical condition

    • Up to $300

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  • Health travel costs

    • Up to $300

    • May be extended to $400 if the person requiring treatment is a child, or whanau support is required

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  • Bedding

    • On conditions of a long-term illness or disability, or additional child has been born into or adopted into the immediate family

    • Up to $200

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  • Reestablishment payments for released, sentenced, and remanded prisoners

    • Non-recoverable grants up to a total of $350

    • For accommodation, beds, essential appliances, connecting telephone, food, clothing and toiletries

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  • Young person leaving care to live independently

    • Recoverable grant of up to $800 for accommodation costs

    • Non-recoverable grant of up to $1200 for bed, bedding, essential appliances, electricity/gas, connecting a telephone

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  • Sole parent high-income

    • Recoverable 

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  • Serious hardship 

    • Recoverable 

    • MSD will consider under exceptional circumstances 

    • Single applicants only

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  • Persons becoming sick during a non-entitlement period

    • Non-recoverable 

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  • Renewals of existing driver's license 

    • Recoverable

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  • New drivers license

    • Recoverable 

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  • Grants to farmers, orchardists, etc

    • Non-recoverable 

    • If the primary industry is in financial difficulty 

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  • Travel costs for visits to designated health practitioners

    • Non-recoverable grant of up to $200

    • Travel must be more than 8km or less than 8km with no public transportation available

  • Repair and maintenance of on-site effluent treatment systems

    • Up to $300

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  • Dental treatment

    • Immediate and essential treatment only

    • Up to $1000

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  • Emergency medical treatment

    • Up to $300

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  • Overseas medical treatment

    • Must be approved by a health agency

    • Cash assets of person/couple must not exceed $5000

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  • Other emergency grants

    • May be recoverable or non-recoverable

    • Must be considered by MSD as special circumstances

    • Up to $500

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  • Refugees, protected persons, Afghan interpreters and Afghan evacuees

    • Non-recoverable grant up to $3,500

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  • Sole parent

    • Recoverable grant of up to $800 for accommodation

    • Non-recoverable grant of up to $600 for beds, bedding, essential appliances, and electricity/gas 

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  • Long-term patient resettling in the community

    • For those who have spent over 6 months in a hospital or residential unit

    • Recoverable grant of up to $800 for accommodation or 

    • Non-recoverable grant of up to $1200 for beds, bedding, essential appliances, electricity/gas, clothing and toiletries

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  • Applicants applying for residence class visas who have lost the financial support of their sponsors

    • Non-recoverable grant at MSD discretion

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  • Applicants in New Zealand under relocation arrangement

    • Weekly non-recoverable grants 

    • Non-recoverable set-up grants exceeding no more than $5000 in total

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  • Victims of people trafficking

    • Weekly non-recoverable grants if the recipient and/or family are in hardship

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  • Beneficiaries transferring between benefits

    • Non-recoverable 

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  • Transfer compensation grants

    • Non-recoverable 

    • Applicable if MSD changes the payday of a benefit from fortnightly to weekly

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  • Grants during stand downs, strikes, application process, or pre-benefit activities

    • Recoverable 

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