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The Benefit Advocate's Handy Hints
Ten handy hints about the benefit system and dealing with Work and Income
THE SURVIVAL GUIDE
Living in Wellington on a low income |
Compassion House, Lukes Lane |
1. Make a copy of all documents you give to Work and Income.
Ask the Work and Income receptionist to date-stamp and then photocopy documents. Work and Income staff sometimes lose documents and then claim they have never received them. As a result of this they may cut off your benefit or not start it from the correct date. If you keep copies of date-stamped documents, you can use them as proof if there is any dispute.
2. Keep Receipts
Keep receipts, bills and other documents relating to your costs so that you can prove what you spend your money on from week to week. These are important to support applications both for one-off assistance like food grants, and for supplementary benefits like Disability Allowance and Special Benefit.
3. If you are on a Disability Allowance use the same chemist
If you are getting a Disability Allowance it is best to go to the same chemist all the time. That way it is easier to get a print-out of all your prescription charges if your Disability Allowance is being reviewed. If you have been to more than one chemist in a twelve month period you will need to go to each one in order to get a record of all your prescription fees.
4. Get it in Writing
When you want to apply for assistance, it is always best to fill in an application form, even if your case manager tells you beforehand that you are not eligible. A written application provides a clear record that you have applied, and Work and Income should send you a letter telling you the reasons why you have been declined and informing you of your right to review the decision. Although spoken requests for assistance can also count as valid applications, they are much harder to prove. It can also be useful to keep notes of discussions you have had with your case manager or Work and Income call centre staff.
5. Same Day Service for Emergency Assistance
When you need assistance for an emergency, like a Food Special Needs Grant, Work and Income are required to see you on the day in question. You do not need to make an appointment or to see your own case manager. Instead go to your nearest service centre and tell the receptionist you need a “food grant”. You should be put into a queue to see the next available case manager. Remember to take your receipts in order to show how you spent your last pay (benefit or wages) and a record of your bank balance.
6. Food Grants
Special Needs Grants for Food are not an entitlement. To qualify for a food grant, you need to meet certain conditions. The main ones are:
* having no food
* having no money to buy food because you used it for an “essential expense."
Usually there is a limit to the total amount of food grants you can receive in a year year (the twelve months prior to the year you apply for the grant). However, this limit can be exceeded in “exceptional circumstances”. If you have reached your limit, you can also apply for an advance for food (which you have to pay back).
7. Part time work and your benefit
If you have part-time work and are on a benefit you need to inform Work and Income of your earnings before tax on a weekly basis. There are different rules for different benefit types. For example, your Accommodation Supplement and Special Benefit are reduced immediately you start earning, whereas your main benefit is not affected until after you earn $80 before tax. There are also some exemptions which may apply, particularly if you are on Invalid’s Benefit.
8. People in full-time work can also get assistance from Work and Income
There are a range of benefits, grants and loans which are available to low- and middle-income workers. There is provision for ongoing assistance to help with things like accommodation costs, health and disability expenses, child care costs, travel to work, and other regular and essential household expenses, as well as for one-off grants or loans for emergencies or immediate and essential needs.
9. Special Benefit
If you are having trouble making ends meet from week to week, whether a beneficiary, on NZ Super, ACC, or working, you may be eligible for a Special Benefit to top up your weekly income so that you can pay your regular living expenses. The best way to find out is to make an appointment through the Work and Income call centre to apply for Special Benefit.
10. You don’t have to take “No” for an answer!
Most decisions by Work and Income staff can be reviewed. Applications for review of a decision have to be made in writing and, unless there is a good reason, within three months of your receiving notification of a decision. If you wish to review a decision, but are unsure how to go about it, you may wish to contact a local benefit advocacy service for free advice and support.
