Disability Allowance
Disability Allowance is a weekly payment that's not taxed for people who have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability, such as visits to a health practitioner or hospital, medicines, extra clothing or travel.
Important information
You don't need to be on a benefit to get this payment.
You don't have to pay it back.
Who can get it
You may be able to get a Disability Allowance if you:
- have a disability that's likely to last at least six months
- have regular, ongoing costs because of your disability that are not fully covered by another agency
- are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
It also depends on how much you and your partner earn.
The income limits for Disability Allowance are:
| Your situation | Weekly income limits before tax |
|---|---|
| Single 16-17 years | $588.98 |
| Single 18+ years | $733.72 |
| Married, civil union or de facto couple (with or without children) | $1,092.55 |
| Sole parent 1 child | $821.43 |
| Sole parent 2+ children | $865.46 |
Child under 18
You may be able to get both the Disability Allowance and the Child Disability Allowance for your child if they're:
- under 18
- financially dependent on you
- have a serious disability.
You can't get a Disability Allowance if you get board payments from Child, Youth and Family for the child.
What you can get
We pay you up to a maximum of $70.04 a week for Disability Allowance and it's not taxed. How much you get depends on the extra costs you have because of your disability.
The Disability Allowance can help pay for a number of things, as long as your health practitioner tells us you need them because of your disability. Here are some of the things we may be able to help with, and the sorts of proof we need to see - so keep all your receipts.
| Some of the extra costs we may be able to help with... | We'll need to see... |
|---|---|
| Health practitioner's, specialist's and hospital fees that aren't already subsidised | Receipts or invoices showing the date, cost and reason for your visit |
| Prescription fees | Receipts or print-outs from your chemist showing the date, cost, the item you received and whether it's subsidised |
| Travel to your health practitioner, specialist, hospital or counsellor | Tickets or receipts showing the date, cost and how you travelled (if you travelled in your own car, we need to know the cc rating of your car and how far you travelled) |
| Heating | Your summer and winter electricity bills |
| Medical alarm rental and monitoring |
The Disability Allowance - Medical Assessment for Medical Alarm form completed by a health practitioner, and the contract or receipt for the installation/rental of the medical alarm. |
When your Disability Allowance is reviewed, we need to see evidence of any costs that have increased or are new.
How to apply
If you're eligible, you will be provided with a Disability Allowance application form to download at the end of Apply Online.
- Complete the Disability Allowance application form.
- Get evidence of your situation (the application form will tell you what to provide).
- Log in to Connect and upload your form and evidence.
If you're eligible, we can grant you the Disability Allowance from the date you first contact us to ask for help, as long as you complete your application within 20 working days of that date.
Child under 18
You can apply on behalf of a child if they're 18 or under and financially dependent on you.
Applying on behalf of someone else
You can apply for a Disability Allowance on someone else's behalf, but only if they've filled out a form to appoint you as their agent.
Already getting Disability Allowance and costs change
If you’re already getting Disability Allowance and your costs change, you need to let us know. If you don't let us know, you may get a debt.
Costs go down
Email us with 'Disability Allowance' as your topic, or call us
Costs go up
You need to fill out a Change of circumstances form and provide evidence of your new costs.
Related