216 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 10 1 FEBRUARY 2007

Programme

1. Title—This programme is the Transition to Work Grant Programme.

2. Commencement—This programme comes into effect on 30 April 2007.

3. Purpose—The purpose of this programme is to support people to move into employment by providing non-recoverable financial assistance for essential costs relating to seeking work, attending job interviews, moving into work and transitioning from one job to another.

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

52-week period, in relation to a grant, means the 52 weeks immediately preceding the date of application for the grant

Act means the Social Security Act 1964

applicant means a person applying for a grant under this programme

employment means paid employment, but does not include:

(a) employment as a sex worker or as an operator of a business of prostitution (as those terms are defined in the Prostitution Reform Act 2003); or

(b) employment in any other occupation of a kind that provides, or directly facilitates the provision of, services:

(i) for the sexual gratification of one or more other persons; and

(ii) that are provided for payment or other reward (irrespective of whether the reward is given to the person providing the services or another person).

exceptional circumstances includes situations where a person:

(a) has been granted an exemption from enrolment under section 22 of the Education Act 1989;

(b) is the parent of a dependent child or has a spouse or partner who is dependent on the person;

(c) relies on any form of state assistance; or

(d) is in extreme hardship.

full-time employment means:

(a) employment under a contract of service or apprenticeship requiring the employee to work, whether on time or piece rates, an average (when calculated over a period of 4 consecutive weeks) of at least 30 hours a week; or

(b) employment for any number of hours regarded as full-time employment for the purposes of an award, agreement or contract relating to the employment.

grant means a transition to work grant, being the special assistance under this programme

working age benefit means any of the following benefits:

(a) an unemployment benefit;

(b) a sickness benefit;

(c) a domestic purposes benefit;

(d) an emergency benefit (other than an emergency benefit payable under section 17(2)(c) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001);

(e) an independent youth benefit;

(f) an invalid’s benefit;

(g) a widow’s benefit;

(h) New Zealand superannuation if the applicant is the spouse or partner of a person who has elected to receive the appropriate rate set out in clause 2 of Schedule 1 to the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001; or

(i) a veteran’s pension if the applicant is the spouse or partner of a person who has elected to receive the appropriate rate set out in clause 2 of Schedule 11 to the War Pensions Act 1954.

(2) Expressions defined in section 3(1) of the Act have the same meaning in this programme.

5. Application of the Social Security Act—(1) Sections 12, 62, 63, 64, 66, 66A, 66B, 68, 68A, 71, 73, 74, 74A, 76, 77, 80A, 81, 82(7), 82A, 84 and 86J of the Act apply to this programme and to any applicant as if the grant was a benefit.

(2) Nothing in subclause (1) limits or affects the application of any other section of the Act.

6. Eligibility—A person is eligible for a grant if he or she is 18 years or over (or who is under the age of 18 years if exceptional circumstances apply) and:

(a) is interacting with the department to find full-time employment (not being temporary employment);

(b) is interacting with the department to find temporary, seasonal or part-time employment if the chief executive considers that it is not appropriate or reasonable in the circumstances to require the applicant to enter full-time employment of a permanent kind;

(c) is registered with Student Job Search;

(d) will enter full-time employment (not being temporary employment); or

(e) will enter temporary, seasonal or part-time employment if the chief executive considers that it is not appropriate or reasonable in the circumstances to require the applicant to enter full-time employment of a permanent kind.

7. Ineligibility—(1) But a person is not eligible for a grant if he or she:

(a) has cash assets (including the cash assets of his or her spouse or partner, if any) of more than:

(i) in the case of a single person, the amount in clause 1 of Schedule 31 to the Act; or

(ii) in the case of a person who is married, in a civil union, in a de facto relationship or is a sole parent, the amount in clause 2 of that Schedule; or

(b) is a person whose income (including the income of his or her spouse or partner, if any) is more than the appropriate amount set out in Part 2 of Schedule 31 to the Act;

(c) is a recipient of New Zealand superannuation payable under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 or a veteran’s pension payable under Part 6 of the War Pensions Act 1954, unless the chief executive considers the circumstances of the applicant mean that a grant is appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances.

(2) An applicant is not eligible for a grant to enter:

(a) employment-related training (except for training paid for by the employer as part of the employment the applicant is entering), education, voluntary work or work experience; or

(b) a job seeker development activity.

8. Application form must be completed—(1) A grant may be made to an applicant only if an application form for the purpose is completed in writing by or on behalf of the applicant.

(2) The form must be provided by the chief executive.