We may be able to help if you’re disabled or have a health condition and need training or have extra costs to do your job.
The information on this page is also available in alternative formats and languages at the bottom of this page.
What you can get
You can get either Job Support or Training Support, depending on what you need help with.
Job Support
Job Support is funding to help pay for certain things related to your health condition or disability that you need to get a job or stay in a job. You can also apply if you’re self-employed.
Job Support funding can cover:
- Equipment: Specialist disability office furniture or adaptive software.
- Workplace modification: Money to help your employer make your workplace suitable for you.
- New Zealand Sign Language and other interpreters: To interpret work meetings, documents about your job (e.g. your contract), and interpret some professional development.
- Support person: Someone you hire to help you at work, such as a reader/writer or driver.
- Parking: To cover costs of parking during your working hours.
- Transport: To get to and from your work if you can’t access public transport.
- Productivity allowance: A wage subsidy paid to your employer while you learn skills and set up workplace supports.
- Job coach: A short-term coach to help you if you start a new job, your job description changes, or you have a change in your disability which affects your job.
If you’re not sure what you need funding for, or how much, you can have an assessment done. This will help you find out what you need for your job.
Training Support Funds
Training Support funding can help you pay for extra costs relating to training if you have a disability or health condition. This is to help you get or stay in a job, including self-employment.
Training Support funding can cover:
- Equipment: Specialist disability furniture or adaptive software.
- New Zealand Sign Language and other interpreters: To interpret classes, presentations and some documents.
- Support person: Someone you hire to help you with your training, such as a reader/writer or driver.
- Transport: To get to and from your training course if you can’t access public transport.
If you’re not sure what you need funding for, or how much, you can have an assessment done. This will help you find out what you need for your training.
What it doesn’t pay for
Job Support and Training Support can’t be used to pay for:
- costs you’ve already paid for
- anything your employer or training provider must provide to enable someone to do the job or training, for example a standard desk and chair.
- training course fees.
Who can get it
To apply for either Job Support or Training Support you must:
- have a disability or a health condition that is likely to last longer than 6 months
- need to pay for extra support to do a job or training because of your health condition or disability, these should be costs a non-disabled person would not have if they do the same job or training
- be aged 16 to 64 years old (we may be able to keep paying if you keep working after you turn 65)
- be ordinarily resident in New Zealand (find out what ‘ordinarily resident’ means)
- be either a:
- New Zealand citizen
- residence class visa holder with the right to work in New Zealand
- recognised refugee or protected person
- temporary class visa holder with the right to work in New Zealand, and you’re either waiting for the outcome of your claim to be recognised as a refugee or protected person, or you’re applying for a residence class visa and must stay in New Zealand because of unforeseen circumstances.
If you’re applying for Job Support, the job must:
- pay at least minimum wage – this also applies if you’re paid by commission
- pay a similar rate that a non-disabled person doing the same job would get
- not be a job reserved for disabled people only.
If you’re self-employed – you must work at least 15 hours a week and the business must be viable.
If you’re applying for Training Support, the training must be related to work. This can be either training to help you get a job in future, or for a job you already have.
Who can’t get it
You can’t get Job Support or Training Support if ACC or the Ministry of Health are already covering your job or training costs.
How much you can get
If you qualify, you may get:
- one-off costs, paid as a lump sum
- ongoing costs, paid in instalments.
How much you can get depends on your needs. We try to cover as much of the cost as possible. When you apply, we check what you need and tell you what costs we’ll cover and how it will be paid. We can’t reimburse you for costs you’ve already paid for.
If you hire a support person or job coach, they must be paid at least the minimum wage.
Click here to read more and to apply at the original web page at www.workandincome.govt.nz