Temporary Additional Support for Kinship Carers Receiving Unsupported Child's Benefit

You are receiving Unsupported Child's Benefit for a grandchild or relative's child, and the weekly payments still don't stretch far enough. The rent is high, the power bill keeps climbing, and there is nothing left by Thursday. Temporary Additional Support might bridge the gap — but only if you understand how Work and Income calculates it alongside UCB.

What Is Temporary Additional Support?

Temporary Additional Support (TAS) is a weekly top-up payment from Work and Income for people whose essential living costs exceed their income after other assistance has been factored in. You do not need to be receiving a main benefit to qualify.

TAS is strictly income-tested and asset-tested. Work and Income looks at your total household income, your accommodation costs, and any other assistance you receive (including Accommodation Supplement) to decide whether you qualify and how much you get.

The payment is granted for up to 13 weeks at a time. If you still need it after 13 weeks, you must reapply.

How UCB Affects Your TAS Calculation

Here is where things get specific for kinship carers. Unsupported Child's Benefit and Orphan's Benefit are paid for the child — they are not treated as personal income for the caregiver. However, because UCB fully covers the child's financial maintenance, Work and Income does not count the child as a dependant when calculating your TAS threshold.

In practical terms, this means:

• Your UCB payment itself is not counted against you as income
• But the child on UCB does not count as a dependant for TAS purposes. Some essential costs for the child may still be included if they cannot be met by UCB/OB or Disability Allowance.
• If you receive excess child support (where Inland Revenue collects more from the natural parents than the UCB rate), that excess is treated as chargeable income for TAS purposes

This creates a situation where a grandparent on NZ Superannuation caring for two children — one on UCB, one counted as a dependant — has a different TAS calculation than a grandparent with both children counted as dependants under Sole Parent Support. If you are in this position, it is worth asking Work and Income to run the numbers both ways.

Who Can Apply for TAS as a Kinship Carer?

You may qualify for TAS if you:

• Are over 16, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay, and are not already getting Special Benefit
• Have essential costs that you have no other way to pay
• Meet the financial assessment: Work and Income considers your and your partner's income and assets, other assistance available, your essential costs, and steps you are taking to reduce costs or increase income
• Meet the asset limits (at 1 April 2026: $1,411.22 for a single person and $2,351.46 for a couple)

You do not need to be on UCB, a main benefit, or Accommodation Supplement to qualify. Work and Income considers other assistance, including Accommodation Supplement, when assessing your costs.

How to Apply

TAS is applied for through Work and Income, either:

• Online through your MyMSD account (my.msd.govt.nz)
• By phone on 0800 559 009
• In person at a Work and Income service centre

You will need to provide evidence of your accommodation costs (rent receipts or a mortgage statement), your income, and your current outgoings. If you are already receiving Accommodation Supplement, some of this information will be on file.

Ask specifically about TAS when you call or visit. It is not always offered proactively — Work and Income staff assess based on what you tell them, and some carers go months without realising they qualify.

TAS vs Accommodation Supplement — What Is the Difference?

Accommodation Supplement helps with housing costs specifically and has area-based maximum rates. TAS covers any essential-cost shortfall after Accommodation Supplement has been applied.

Think of it in layers:

1. Your main benefit or NZ Super
2. Accommodation Supplement (for rent or mortgage)
3. Temporary Additional Support (for the remaining gap)

If your Accommodation Supplement is already at the maximum for your area and your rent still leaves you short, TAS is the next layer to investigate.

What Happens After 13 Weeks?

TAS is not permanent. It is paid for up to 13 weeks. If you still need it after that, you must reapply before your payment stops and Work and Income will check whether you still meet the criteria. If your income, accommodation costs, or household composition has changed, your TAS rate may change too.

For kinship carers, a common trigger for change is a CYC (Confirming Your Circumstances) review — if a child leaves your care or you gain an additional child, both your UCB and your TAS will be reassessed. Keep Work and Income informed of changes as they happen rather than waiting for the review.

Getting Your Full Entitlement

Many relative caregivers receiving UCB or Orphan's Benefit never apply for TAS because they do not know it exists or assume UCB disqualifies them. It does not. If you are struggling to cover essential costs after your benefit and Accommodation Supplement, the complete guide to UCB and Orphan's Benefit walks through every layer of financial support available — including how the payments interact.

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust on 0800 472 637 can also help you work out whether TAS applies to your situation and advocate on your behalf with Work and Income.

See more New Zealand guides →