Financial help
Applying for financial assistance
There are a number of benefits and allowances you may be eligible for if you are a victim of domestic violence in New Zealand.
Work and Income provides financial assistance and employment services throughout New Zealand. It offers a single point of contact for people in New Zealand needing job search support, financial assistance and in-work support.
We strongly advise that you contact us or another benefit advocacy service like the Citizens Advice Bureau for help with understanding your entitlements to any available financial assistance.
Women’s Refuge advocates can also accompany you to meetings at Work and Income, and help make sure you get quick access to any benefit to which you’re entitled. Advocates can also help you with Work and Income debts.
You should be getting enough money to pay for your basic living costs. If you are turned down for any benefit or you think you should be getting more, get the decision in writing from Work and Income, and ask for a review immediately. Taking along an advocate often helps.
Benefits
You may be eligible for these benefits:
- Domestic Purposes Benefit (DPB) for single parent with child/ren; for someone caring for a sick or disabled family member; or for women alone aged over 50
- Unemployment or Sickness or Invalid’s Benefit
- Student Allowance
- Independent Youth Allowance for young people aged 16 to 17 who can’t stay at home
- Emergency Maintenance Allowance for women who do not qualify for the DPB
- Emergency Benefit for those not able to get other benefits
- Special assistance for migrant women who are applying for a residence permit but have lost the financial support of their sponsors due to domestic violence. You must have have entered New Zealand for the purpose of marriage or de facto relationship, have applied for residence, be living apart from your partner due to violence, be unable to return home, and have a temporary work permit.
Allowances
There are also many allowances available to people on benefits, as well as those on a low wage, for which you may be eligible:
- Accommodation Supplement
- Special Benefit or Temporary Additional Support if your essential costs (rent, food, bills, cost of car and furniture, childcare etc) are more than your income from a benefit or wage
- Food grants
- Reestablishment grant If you have children and are separating from an abusive partner, you may be entitled to $1400 of recoverable and non-recoverable grants to help you move and set up a new home
- Childcare subsidy or after-school OSCAR subsidy to help pay for the care of preschoolers and children up to 13 years old
- Disability Allowance if you or your child has an ongoing disability such as asthma, hearing or sight loss
- Emergency travel for people who are stranded
- Emergency medical and dentist treatment and equipment.
Getting financial assistance before you leave
If you’re in a violent relationship and are planning to leave but you have no money, you may be able to get the Domestic Purposes Benefit or another benefit now, before you leave.
A violent relationship may not count as being in “a relationship in the nature of marriage”, so you should be able to get a benefit as though you were single. However, you must provide strong corroborative evidence from police and/or Women’s Refuge that there has been violence towards you.
Information required by Work and Income
Before you can receive financial assistance, Work and Income will require proof of who you are, the names of your children if you have any, details of your assets and income – including your partner’s, any benefits you already receive, and your costs and expenses. You will also need to provide your bank account details.
Always carry this information with you if it’s safe to, in case you have to leave in a crisis. Otherwise, keep it in a bag hidden in your house or at a friend or family member’s house, so that you can access it when you need to, and it can’t be destroyed or stolen.
Forms of identification needed by Work and Income
Before Work and Income can grant you financial assistance, you will need to provide one form of identification, and two additional documents that support your identity. The issue date of one of these documents must be at least two years prior to the day before the date of your application.
Providing proof of the abuse
Work and Income will also require proof of the abuse or violence you have experienced. This can be difficult to talk about and evidence, particularly if you have never told anyone before.
There are several ways that you can evidence the abuse or violence you have suffered. If you’ve visited your doctor, a clinic or the hospital with injuries from the violence you can access these records, and your doctor can write a supporting letter.
If you have sought legal advice from a lawyer, or other advice from another professional, they can write a letter supporting you. Perhaps a teacher at your child’s school, or your midwife or Plunket nurse could also provide a letter attesting to the violence.
If you’ve never told anyone before, you can receive confidential services and advice from Women’s Refuge, and we can also support your application for a benefit with the information you’ve given us about your experiences.
Work and Income contact details
www.workandincome.govt.nz
Freephone from within New Zealand: 0800 559 009
From overseas: +64 9 913 0300
7am–6pm Monday to Friday and 8am–1pm Saturday
