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.

Help paying for childcare

Check what you might get — Work and Income

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

Working for Families overview — Inland Revenue

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

Child support — Inland Revenue

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 — Work and Income

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 — Work and Income

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

School and year start-up payment — Work and Income

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 — Work and Income

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

Financial help for caregivers — Oranga Tamariki