3 September 2025
M.R.M
[FYI request #31929 email]
Tēnā koe M.R.M
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your email of 7 August 2025, requesting information about the
Unsupported Child’s Benefit.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Please find my decision on each part of your request set out separately below.
1. A copy or copies of the legislation - laws and regulations - relevant to the
Unsupported Child Benefit.
2. A copy or copies of the policies, procedures, rules, guidelines, etc. - all non-
laws and non-regulations requested above in other words - relevant to the
Unsupported Child Benefit.
The Unsupported Child’s Benefit (UCB) is administered by the Ministry of Social
Development (the Ministry) in accordance with the Social Security Act 2018. Other
legislation relevant to UCB includes the Social Security Regulations 2018 and
Orphan's and Unsupported Child's Benefit (Additional Assistance) Programme. For
further information, please see:
• Subpart 6 of the Social Security Act 2018:
www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2018/0032/latest/LMS5958.html.
• The Social Security Regulations 2018:
www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2018/0202/latest/LMS96210.ht
ml.
• Orphan's and Unsupported Child's Benefit (Additional Assistance)
Programme:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/legislation/welfare-
programmes/orphans-and-ucb-additional-assistance-programme/orphan-
s-and-unsupported-child-s-benefit-additiona.html.
The guidance relevant to the administration of UCB is in Map, which is publicly
available through the Work and Income website. The relevant legislation is
referenced at the bottom of each Map page. Please see here:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/unsupported-childs-
benefit.html.
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
The UCB index page can be expanded to show all the pages within the UCB manual
and can be found her
e: www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/main-
benefits/orphans-benefit-and-unsupported-childs-benefit/index.html.
Information about additional assistance specifically available to UCB carers can be
found
here:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/extra-
help/orphans-benefit-and-unsupported-childs-benefit-products/index.html.
I have also attached the Case Manager guidelines for interviews for UCB,
information and processes for Orphan’s Benefit (OB) and UCB, and the Work and
Income procedures for OB and UCB. This information is found on the Ministry’s
internal intranet. Some of the information in the Case Manager guidelines is
considered out of scope of your request.
3. A copy or copies of the processes that must be used to evaluate and
approve or decline a second Unsupported Child Benefit application when
the first Unsupported Child Benefit application was approved and payments
made for more than 2 years, and the child left the applicant's home but
returned more than 1 year later causing a stoppage of the payments to be
requested by the applicant then a second application to be made and
submitted to WINZ ... with all of the original application personal and other
information remaining unchanged in the interim period other than the
child's age. (What I am needing here is a copy or copies of a directive or
other sort of instruction to WINZ staff how they are required to process a
second Unsupported Child Benefit application when they already have all of
the relevant information on record from a first Unsupported Child Benefit
application).
The Ministry has a duty to investigate and decide all applications made where it
has the relevant information to do so. To apply for a benefit, clients are required
to make an application and provide the information necessary for the Ministry to
investigate and determine entitlement. This applies to all benefit applications,
including when a client may have previously been in receipt of assistance.
More information about an application for a benefit can be found here:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/core-policy/requests-for-
financial-assistance/application-for-benefit/guidelines-application-for-
benefit.html.
I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email].
If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, you have the right to
seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to
make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
pp.
Anna Graham
General Manager Ministerial and Executive Services
