Unsupported Child's Benefit Documents Required: The Evidence Checklist

Why Document Preparation Matters

When you contact Work and Income about Unsupported Child's Benefit, a 20-working-day clock starts running from your first contact. You have those 20 working days to submit a completed application — Form M14 — along with all required supporting evidence. If you do not submit it within 20 working days, the application is cancelled and you need to reapply.

Arriving at your Work and Income appointment with incomplete or uncertified documents is one of the most common reasons applications stall. Getting everything organised before you make that first call protects both the deadline and your entitlement start date.

The Core Document Checklist

Your Identity and Residency

• If Work and Income has not already verified your identity through MyMSD Identity Check, provide two identity documents, at least one of which must be government-issued. You can upload both documents to MyMSD, but you must also bring the original government-issued ID to a service centre; Work and Income does not accept copies, including certified copies.
• Examples of government-issued ID include an NZ birth certificate, passport, or driver licence. If you were born overseas, also provide proof of your right to live in New Zealand.
• Proof of current residential address — a recent utility bill, tenancy agreement, or bank statement showing your name and address
• Bank account details for direct credit — a deposit slip or stamped bank statement with your account number

The Child's Details

• The child's full New Zealand Birth Certificate (the one showing both parents' names, not the short-form extract)
• If the child receives any income, trust distributions, or overseas payments — evidence of those amounts
• School enrolment confirmation, Plunket/Well Child records, or GP registration showing the child lives with you

Evidence of Family Breakdown (UCB-specific)

For Unsupported Child's Benefit, Work and Income needs to see that the child's parents cannot provide care or financial support because of family breakdown. You will need to provide:

• The names, last known addresses, phone numbers, and employment details of both natural parents (as much as you know)
• A written statement explaining the family breakdown — what happened, when the child came into your care, and why the parents are unable to care for them

If you hold any of these, include them as well:

• A sealed Family Court Parenting Order or Guardianship Order
• A Family Group Conference (FGC) outcome plan signed by Oranga Tamariki
• Police reports relating to the circumstances
• A supporting letter from a social worker, school principal, doctor, or other professional who is aware of the situation

If contacting a parent would put you or the child at risk because of domestic violence or a protection order, tell your case manager. MSD policy allows them to waive direct parental contact and rely on third-party evidence instead.

Getting Documents Certified

For identity checks, Work and Income requires original government-issued identity documents and does not accept copies, including certified copies. Requirements for supporting documents such as the child's birth certificate can differ, so check the instructions Work and Income gives you before sending copies. If you are asked for a certified copy, it means someone authorised has sighted the original, stamped or signed the copy, and confirmed it is a true copy.

In New Zealand, you can get documents certified free of charge by:

• A Justice of the Peace (JP) — available at most public libraries, community centres, and CAB offices during set hours. Find your nearest JP service at justiceofthepeace.org.nz.
• A Court Registrar at your local District Court
• A solicitor or notary public (some charge a fee)

Bring the original documents and clean photocopies. The JP or solicitor will compare them, stamp the copies, and sign them with the date.

Keeping Track of What You Have Submitted

Once you start the application process, keep a record of every document you hand over and when. If Work and Income misplaces a document during the 20-working-day window, your own log is your evidence that it was submitted on time.

Note the date, the name of the person you dealt with, and what you provided at each interaction. If you send documents by post or upload them through MyMSD, keep confirmation screenshots or tracking numbers.

Getting Organised Before the Clock Starts

The Unsupported Child's Benefit and Orphan's Benefit guide includes printable evidence checklists, a document readiness tracker, and an interaction log template — designed so you can gather everything before making that first call to Work and Income, and track every submission against the 20-working-day deadline.

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