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NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 52

Social Development

Social Security Act 1964

Home Help Programme

Pursuant to section 124 (1) (d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister for Social Development and Employment establishes and approves the following welfare programme for special assistance.

Dated at Wellington this 6th day of May 2004.

STEVE MAHAREY, Minister for Social Development and Employment.

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Programme

1. Title—This programme is the Home Help Programme.

2. Commencement—This programme comes into effect on 10 May 2004.

3. Purpose—The purpose of this programme is to provide financial assistance to certain people who require temporary part-time help to complete domestic tasks normally performed in their homes.

4. Interpretation—(1) In this programme, unless the context otherwise requires:

   Act means the Social Security Act 1964;

   applicant means a person applying for home help assistance;

   cash assets, in relation to a person, means the assets of the person that can be readily converted into cash, and include:

   (a) shares, stocks, debentures, bonus bonds and other bonds;

   (b) money to the credit of the person in any account or fixed or term deposit with a bank, building society, credit union or friendly society;

   (c) money invested with or lent to a bank, financial institution or person;

   (d) the net equity in any building, land or premises not used as the person’s home;

   (e) shares in any building society;

   (f) bills of exchange and promissory notes;

   (g) a share or interest in any partnership;

   but do not include:

   (h) the value of the person’s home or the land on which it is situated;

   (i) personal effects;

   (j) the motor vehicle principally used by the person for private use;

   (k) a caravan, boat or other vehicle that:

   (i) has a net equity of less than $2,000; or

   (ii) is used by the person or a member of the person’s family for day-to-day accommodation;

   domestic emergency, in relation to an applicant, means a sudden and unexpected change in circumstances (for example, the loss of a spouse) that creates a crisis situation for the applicant;

   domestic support means:

   (a) the provision of training in parenting skills; or

   (b) assistance with household tasks in a situation of stress arising from pressures on the family;

   family, in relation to an applicant, means a group of persons who live together in the same household as the applicant, being a group that comprises not less than one adult or more than two adults who care for one or more dependent children or other dependents who are part of the group, and the dependent children or other dependents who are part of the group;

   family credit income has the same meaning as in Regulation 2 of the Health Entitlement Cards Regulations 1993;

   home help means the provision of domestic services or domestic support in a person’s home by another person;

   home help assistance or assistance means the special assistance under this programme;

   home support means home help (by whatever name called) funded under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 for people needing it because of age, ill health or infirmity;

   net income has the same meaning as in Regulation 2 of the Health Entitlement Cards Regulations 1993.

   (2) Terms otherwise defined in section 3 (1) of the Act have the meanings so defined.

5. Application of Social Security Act—(1) Sections 12, 62, 63, 64, 66, 66B, 68, 74, 74A, 76, 77, 80 (1), 80A, 80BD (1), 81, 82 (1) and (4), 84, 84A and 86J of the Act apply to this programme and to any applicant for assistance under this programme and to any such applicant’s spouse as if the special assistance under this programme were a benefit under Part I of the Act.

   (2) Nothing in subclause (1) limits the application of any other provision of the Act.

6. Home help assistance: Eligibility—(1) An applicant is eligible to receive home help assistance if the applicant is in one of the following situations:

   (a) The applicant or the applicant’s spouse has a dependent child aged under five years and gives birth to or adopts two additional dependent children born from the same pregnancy;

   (b) The applicant or the applicant’s spouse gives birth to or adopts three or more dependent children born from the same pregnancy;

   (c) The applicant, being a person with one or more dependent children or other dependants:

   (i) is, in the opinion of the chief executive, in a domestic emergency; and

   (ii) has no close relatives or friends able to assist in caring for the applicant’s dependent children or other dependants; and

   (iii) meets the financial means test set out in clause 7;

   (d) The applicant, being a person with one or more dependent children or other dependants:

   (i) needs, in the opinion of the chief executive, domestic support; and

   (ii) meets the financial means test set out in clause 7.

   (2) An applicant is not eligible for any assistance for which home support may be granted.

7. Financial means test for certain applicants—(1) An applicant meets the financial means test referred to in clause 6 (1) (c) (iii) and (d) (ii) if:

   (a) either the applicant or the applicant’s spouse holds a community services card issued under the Health Entitlement Cards Regulations 1993; or