9 SEPTEMBER 2010 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 115 3101

that amount is materially significant to the management of the applicant’s finances.

9.14 If 1 or more applicable payments are made to the applicant on the same day, those payments are to be counted as 1 applicable payment under clause 9.13.

9.15 The kinds of budgeting activities that the chief executive may request an applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner (if any), or both, to undertake are as follows:

(a) completing a budgeting work sheet or a work sheet approved by the chief executive that sets out income against expenditure:

(b) attending a budgeting course or seminar approved by the chief executive that teaches how to prepare a budget or to improve budgeting skills:

(c) seeking assistance from a recognised budgeting advice service.

9.16 This clause applies in respect of an applicant if the chief executive is satisfied that—

(a) the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner has failed to take reasonable steps to reduce his or her costs or increase his or her income or better manage his or her finances; or

(b) the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner has failed to take all necessary steps to obtain any assistance towards his or her costs from any other source from which he or she may be entitled to assistance; or

(c) the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner has failed to comply with—

(i) a request to undertake a budgeting activity under clause 9.12 of this programme or clause 9.5 of the Recoverable Assistance Programme; or

(ii) a requirement to undertake a budgeting activity under section 82(6B) of the Act.

9.17 If clause 9.16 applies, the chief executive may refuse to make a grant or any subsequent grant, to or in respect of the applicant.

9.18 In this clause, reasonable steps, in relation to better managing a person’s finances, includes complying with a request or requirement to undertake a budgeting activity under clause 9.5 of the Recoverable Assistance Programme or under section 82(6B) of the Act.

Schedule 2

Clause 4

Amendments to Recoverable Assistance Programme

Clause 3.1

Insert in their appropriate alphabetical order:

“applicable payment means any of the following:

(a) an advance payment of a benefit under section 82(6) of the Act:

(b) a grant under the Special Needs Grant Programme established and approved under section 124(1)(d) of the Act on 18 December 1998 (excluding a grant under any of Parts 5, 6, and 6A):

(c) a payment under this programme (excluding a payment under Part 3A)”

“budgeting activity means an activity referred to in clause 9.8 or, as the case requires, an activity referred to in clause 9.15 of the Special Needs Grants Programme or

regulation 6 of the Social Security (Advance Payment of Benefit) Regulations 2010”

“specified period, in relation to an application for a grant, means—

(a) a period that starts on 27 September 2010 and ends on the date on which the application is made, if that period is less than 12 months; or

(b) the preceding period of 12 months that ends on the date on which the application is made, if that date is 12 months or more after 27 September 2010”.

Clause 9

Insert after clause 9.4:

“9.5 The chief executive may, in the circumstances set out in clause 9.6, request an applicant for a payment under this programme (other than for a payment under Part 3A) or the applicant’s spouse or partner (if any), or both, to undertake a budgeting activity.

9.6 The circumstances referred to in clause 9.5 are as follows:

(a) the applicant has received 3 or more applicable payments within the specified period; or

(b) paragraph (a) does not apply to the applicant, but the chief executive, after taking into account the following matters, considers that it would be beneficial for the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner (if any), or both, to undertake a budgeting activity to better manage their finances:

(i) the applicant has received repeated applicable payments for the same cost (whether the payments were received before or after 27 September 2010):

(ii) the applicant’s history of receiving multiple applicable payments (whether that history relates to a period before or after 27 September 2010):

(iii) the amount of the applicant’s debts that are due to the Crown (within the meaning of section 85A of the Act) and whether that amount is materially significant to the management of the applicant’s finances.

9.7 If 1 or more applicable payments are made to the applicant on the same day, those payments are to be counted as 1 applicable payment under clause 9.6.

9.8 The kinds of budgeting activities that the chief executive may request an applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner (if any), or both, to undertake are as follows:

(a) completing a budgeting work sheet or a work sheet approved by the chief executive that sets out income against expenditure:

(b) attending a budgeting course or seminar approved by the chief executive that teaches how to prepare a budget or to improve budgeting skills:

(c) seeking assistance from a recognised budgeting advice service.

9.9 This clause applies in respect of an applicant if the chief executive is satisfied that—

(a) the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or partner has failed to take reasonable steps to