Financial help when you’re raising a family

Answer some questions to find out which benefits you might be entitled to.

It’s confidential — the tool asks you questions but Work and Income do not see your answers. You’ll be asked:

• for personal information about you and your partner
• what you’ve earned in the last year
• about any health conditions or disabilities
• how much you pay in rent or mortgage payments
• the value of your assets.

Check what you might get from Work and Income

Working for Families is a payment for working parents to help with the costs of raising children.

Working for Families

Inland Revenue collects money from parents who do not live with their children to help support the children financially.

Child support

Financial help when you’re caring for someone else’s child

Unsupported Child’s Benefit is a weekly payment if you’re over 18 and caring for a child that’s:

• under 19 and not your natural, adopted or step-child
• financially dependent on you, and
• not able to be cared for by their parents because of a family breakdown.

Unsupported child’s benefit

Orphan’s Benefit is a weekly payment if you’re over 18 and caring for a child whose parents:

• have died
• cannot be found
• cannot look after them because they have a long-term illness.

Orphan’s benefit

If you receive unsupported child’s benefit or orphan’s benefit you can get help with pre-school and school-related costs eg clothing, school fees and stationery.

School and year start-up payment

Away from Home Allowance is a weekly payment which helps carers with the living costs of 16 or 17-year-olds who are living away from home while on a tertiary or training course.

Away from home allowance

There is financial help available if you’re fostering a child through Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children.

Fostering a child