208
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 8

16.3 Where on or after 18 November 1996 the chief executive decides at the request of a beneficiary to alter the pay day of the benefit payable to that beneficiary from a fortnightly pay day to a weekly pay day, the chief executive may make one non-recoverable grant of not more than two days benefit entitlement to the beneficiary to cover the shortfall during the transition.

Definitions benefit, chief executive, New Zealand Superannuation, Social Security Act 1964, s. 3

17. Benefit Non-entitlement Periods and Stand Downs, etc.

17.1 Disqualified spouse

17.1.1 The chief executive may make a recoverable grant to an applicant whose spouse would otherwise qualify for a benefit but is not entitled to that benefit because—

(a) he or she is subject to a non-entitlement period or a stand down; or

17.1.2 A grant under clause 17.1.1, in relation to an applicant whose spouse is subject to a non-entitlement period, may be made only in respect of the first 4 weeks after the date the non-entitlement period took effect in relation to that spouse.

17.1.3 A grant must not be made under clause 17.1.1 unless—

(a) the applicant is not entitled to a benefit in his or her own right (whether because of the application of section 80C of the Act or otherwise) and has one or more dependent children; and

(b) the immediate family has no cash assets and cannot obtain credit facilities; and

(c) the immediate family has taken all reasonable steps to reduce its fixed commitments; and

(d) if the non-entitlement was because of the receipt of any redundancy payment (as defined in section 80B of the Act), the redundancy payment was used to meet ongoing costs and not to reduce capital debts; and

(e) in the case where the applicant’s spouse is a striking worker, the immediate family is not receiving assistance, or sufficient assistance to meet the immediate family’s basic needs, from any other source.

17.1.4 An applicant is not entitled to a grant under clause 17.1.1 where he or she is entitled to receive a benefit or part of a benefit under section 99 (4) or section 120 of the Act.

17.2 Sole Parent High Income

17.2.1 The chief executive may make a recoverable grant to a sole parent who—

(a) would otherwise qualify for a benefit but is not entitled to receive that benefit because he or she is subject to a Stand Down; and

(b) has no cash assets and cannot obtain credit facilities; and

(c) has taken all reasonable steps to reduce his or her fixed commitments.

17.3 Serious hardship

17.3.1 If the chief executive considers exceptional circumstances exist, the chief executive may make a recoverable grant to an unmarried applicant who—

(a) has no dependent children; and

(b) is otherwise qualified for a benefit but is not entitled to receive that benefit because he or she is subject to—

(i) a non-entitlement period; or

(ii) a stand down; and

(c) is suffering serious hardship; and

(d) in the case of an applicant for a widow’s benefit, a domestic purposes benefit, an independent youth benefit, or a community wage—

(i) who is a work-tested beneficiary; and

(ii) has agreed in writing that if:

(A) offered suitable employment; or

(B) the department proposes participation in an organised activity of a kind approved under section 123B of the Act—

he or she will accept that offer or proposal.

17.3.2 A grant under clause 17.3.1, to a person who is subject to a non-entitlement period, may only be made in respect of the first 4 weeks of that non-entitlement period.

17.4 More than one Grant may be made

17.4.1 More than one grant may be made to an applicant for the same purpose under clause 17.1.1 or clause 17.2.1 or clause 17.3.1, but in no case must the amount granted in any one week exceed the equivalent of—

(a) in the case of a married person, the maximum weekly rate of a community wage that would be payable to the applicant if he or she was—

(i) unmarried and under the age of 25 years; and

(ii) entitled to receive that benefit; or

(b) in the case of an unmarried person, half the maximum weekly rate of a community wage that would be payable to that person if he or she was entitled to receive that benefit.

17.5 Persons becoming sick during non-entitlement period

17.5.1 The chief executive may make a non-recoverable grant to an applicant who—

(a) is subject to a non-entitlement period; and

(b) is, by reason of sickness or injury, incapable of participating in employment, or in an organised activity for the purpose of section 123B of the Act.

17.5.2 More than one grant may be made to an applicant for the same purpose under clause 17.5.1, but in no case must the amount granted in any one week exceed the combined total of—

(a) the rate in the Ninth Schedule of the Act which would have applied, had the applicant been entitled in that week to receive the community wage; and

(b) except where section 80C (1A) of the Act applies, the rate of Accommodation Supplement which the applicant would have received, had the applicant been entitled in that week to receive the Accommodation Supplement.

Definitions benefit, dependent child, chief executive, organised activity, sole parent, spouse, suitable employment, work-tested beneficiary, Social Security Act 1964, s. 3

Part 6

Special Assistance to the Rural Sector

18. Grants to Farmers, Orchardists etc.

18.1 The object of this Part is to provide financial assistance to farmers.

18.2 The chief executive may make non-recoverable grants to a farmer who—

(a) has a land based industry of a type or condition approved by the Minister from time to time, which is located in a region, district, or area approved by the Minister from time to time, and that land based industry is in financial difficulty and is not producing sufficient income to meet essential living expenses, and

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