Pursuant to section 124 (1) (d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister for Social Development and Employment establishes and approves the following amendment to the Special Needs Grants Programme (as established and approved on 18 December 1998).
Dated at Wellington this 18th day of November 2003.
STEVE MAHAREY, Minister for Social Development and Employment.
______
A m e n d m e n t
1. Title-(1) This amendment is the Special Needs Grants Amendment (No 3) 2003.
(2) In this amendment, the Special Needs Grants Programme is called "the programme".
2. Commencement-This amendment comes into effect on 1 December 2003.
3. Definitions-Clause 3.1 of the programme is amended by inserting, in their appropriate alphabetical order, the following definitions:
"approved organisation means any of the following organisations for the time being approved under section 396 of the CYPF Act, namely a Cultural Social Service, an Iwi Social Service, or a Child and Family Support Service"
"care, in relation to care of a person under the CYPF Act, means being in the care, custody, or guardianship of the chief executive of the responsible department or an approved organisation under that Act and not living with a parent or guardian or person otherwise having the care of the person"
"CYPF Act means the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989"
"responsible department means the department for
the time being responsible for administration of the CYPF Act"
"Transition from Care to Independence Initiative or Initiative means the programme of that name operated by the responsible department".
4. Restriction on payments-Clause 9 of the programme is amended by inserting, after clause 9.4A, the following clause:
"9.4B If an applicant is eligible for a grant under clause 17, neither the applicant nor the applicant's spouse is eligible for a grant under any other provision of this programme unless-
(a) the applicant has been granted, in respect of the period to which the application for the other grant relates, the maximum assistance available under that clause; and
(b) by reason of the applicant's extreme hardship or other emergency situation (whether applying to the applicant or to
the applicant's spouse or dependent
child), the chief executive considers the other grant should be made."
5. Re-establishment costs-Clause 15 of the programme is amended by adding the following subclause:
"15.6 Young persons leaving care to live independently
15.6.1 Clause 15.6.2 applies if an applicant aged not less than 16 and not more than 17 years-
(a) has been in care under the CYPF Act; and
(b) leaves that care to live independently; and
(c) is a person to whom the Transition from Care to Independence Initiative applies.
15.6.2 Where this clause applies, the chief executive may make in respect of the applicant the following grants:
(a) a recoverable grant of not more than $800 for accommodation, bond, or rent in advance:
(b) a non-recoverable grant of not more than $1,200 for a bed, bedding, and essential appliances, and the cost of connecting a telephone, electricity, and gas (if applicable):
(c) any combination of grants under paragraphs (a) and (b).
15.6.3 The chief executive may make more than one grant for the purposes stated in clause 15.6.2 in a 52-week period and in any subsequent period in which the Initiative applies to the applicant but the total of such grants must not exceed $2,000.
15.6.4 The chief executive must have regard to the transition plan prepared under the Initiative in relation to the applicant when deciding whether to make a grant under clause 15.6.2."
______
Explanatory Note
This note is not part of the amendment, but is intended to indicate its general effect.
This amendment to the Special Needs Grants Programme takes effect on 1 December 2003.
Clause 5 provides for re-establishment grants for young persons aged 16 or 17 who leave care under the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 to live independently under the Transition from Care to Independence Initiative operated by the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. Clause 3 inserts new definitions in clause 3.1 of the programme for the purpose.
Clause 4 inserts a new restriction in clause 9 of the programme. This provides that the assistance available under clause 17 of the programme is the only assistance available to certain persons, unless the chief executive considers a grant under another provision of the programme should be made because the person is in extreme hardship or because of an emergency situation. Clause 17 provides for recoverable assistance for:
? the spouses of married people who are striking workers or subject to a stand down;
? sole parents and unmarried people who are subject to a stand down.
It also provides for non-recoverable assistance for persons becoming sick during a non-entitlement period.