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About StudyLink

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Reviewing people's circumstances

23 May 2025.

From 2 March 2026, we'll ask clients getting certain payments from us to confirm their circumstances at least once a year.

Important information

These are proposed changes only. They are subject to the legislation being passed.

What's changing

From 2 March 2026, everyone getting the following payments will have to confirm their circumstances every year:

  • Accommodation Supplement (unless you're getting Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment)
  • Disability Allowance
  • Supported Living Payment
  • NZ Super, if you have a non-qualified partner included in your payment, and
  • Emergency Benefit (including Emergency Maintenance Allowance), when the expiry date is beyond 52 weeks, or there is no expiry date.

If you're getting one of these payments and don't confirm your circumstances every year, your payments will stop.

Currently, only some clients who get these payments are asked to confirm their circumstances every year.

Jobseeker Support or Sole Parent Support 

This doesn't apply to the Jobseeker Support or Sole Parent Support benefits. This is because these clients already confirm their circumstances when they reapply every year.  

Renewing medical certificates

If you need to renew your medical certificate, this is a different process.

Renew your medical certificate or information - Work and Income

How you'll confirm your circumstances

You'll complete a 'Confirming your Circumstances' form every year, unless you've already confirmed your circumstances with us in that year. For example, if you've recently applied for Temporary Additional Support.

The form will be available online or you can fill out a paper form, which we'll send to you. The form will be pre-filled with the information we already have about you.

If your details change, your payments could increase, decrease or stop.

Why we're making this change

Currently, we don't always have the most up-to-date information about clients. So they could be getting the wrong rate of payment from us or getting a payment they shouldn't be.

Reviewing clients' circumstances once a year means we can:

  • check if there’s been any changes to their situation
  • check they still meet the criteria for the payment, and
  • make sure they are being paid the right amount. 

More information

We'll provide more information about confirming circumstances before the change is implemented on 2 March 2026.

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