This instrument is made under section 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964 by the Minister for Social Development.

Instrument

1. Title

This instrument is the Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Amendment 2018.

2. Commencement

This instrument comes into force on the 28th day after the date on which it is published in the New Zealand Gazette.

3. Principal programme

This instrument amends the Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Programme¹ (as established and approved on 6 March 2014) (“principal programme”).

4. Clause 3 amended (Purpose)

(1) In clause 3, delete “who are or may be at risk of long-term benefit receipt”.

(2) In clause 3, replace paragraphs (a) and (b) with:

(a) who are or may be at risk of long-term benefit receipt,—

(i) to help them become ready for work by reducing barriers to their employment:

(ii) if they are ready for work, to help facilitate their transition into, and retention of, sustainable employment:

(b) who are no longer at risk of long-term benefit receipt, to help them retain employment if they—

(i) have a sickness, injury, or disability; and

(ii) have received special assistance under this programme to facilitate their transition into, and retention of, suitable employment.

5. Clause 4 amended (Interpretation)

In clause 4(1), definition of eligible person, after “clause 6(3)”, insert “or (3A)”.

6. Clause 6 amended (Eligibility)

(1) In clause 6, after subclause (3), insert:

(3A) This clause also applies to a person with a sickness, injury, or disability who—

(a) has attained the age of 65 and is residentially qualified to receive New Zealand superannuation; and

(b) has before attaining that age been granted employment or work readiness assistance to facilitate the person’s transition into, and retention of, sustainable employment; and

(c) the chief executive is satisfied requires continuing assistance to retain the same employment.

(2) In clause 6, after subclause (5), insert:

(6) Any employment and work readiness assistance granted to a person to whom subclause (3A) applies must be only assistance of the kind specified in clause 7 of the Schedule and only for the purpose of helping that person retain the employment he or she received assistance to transition into before attaining age 65.

7. Schedule amended

In the Schedule, clause 6(1)(a), replace “Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992” with “Health and Safety at Work Act 2015”.

Dated at Wellington this 4th day of May 2018.

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI, Minister for Social Development.

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Explanatory note

This note is not part of the instrument, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This instrument amends the Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Programme (“programme”) under the Social Security Act 1964. It amends the programme so that people with sickness, injury, or disability who have received assistance to enter and retain sustainable employment under the programme can receive assistance to retain the same employment after they turn 65, if they choose to continue in that employment. A reference to legislation in the programme is also updated.

1. New Zealand Gazette, 13 March 2014, No. 29, page 837.