Sole Parent Support NZ: What Surviving Parents Need to Know

When a partner dies and you're left raising children alone, the financial reality changes immediately. One income that was supplementing another is now the only income — or there is no income at all.

Sole Parent Support is one of the main benefits available in this situation, but it's not the only option and it may not be the right first step depending on how your partner died. Here's what you need to know before you call Work and Income.

What Sole Parent Support Is

Sole Parent Support is a weekly income support payment administered by Work and Income. It's designed for people who are the principal caregiver of a dependent child and don't have a partner.

After the death of a partner, surviving parents with dependent children are eligible to apply — you don't need to have been receiving a benefit before, and you don't need to have been employed. The fact that your partner died is sufficient to establish that you're now a sole parent.

The payment is income tested, which means the amount you receive reduces as your other income increases. But even if you have some income — part-time work, rental income, or similar — you may still receive a partial payment.

Current Rates

Sole Parent Support rates are adjusted periodically with benefit changes. For 2025/26:

• Single with one or more children: approximately $422–$436 per week (before any income abatement)

These rates are net of tax — Work and Income deducts the applicable tax before payment.

In addition to the base rate, you may also qualify for:

• Accommodation Supplement — assistance with rent or mortgage payments based on your housing costs and income
• Disability Allowance — if you or a child has a health condition requiring regular costs
• Temporary Additional Support — if your essential living costs exceed your income and standard benefits

Always ask Work and Income to check your eligibility for these supplementary payments when you apply for Sole Parent Support. They don't automatically offer them.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for Sole Parent Support, you must:

• Be the principal caregiver of a dependent child under 14 (or under 18 if the child has a disability or health condition that prevents you from working)
• Not have a partner
• Be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, ordinarily resident in New Zealand
• Meet the income and residency tests

Age of children matters: Once your youngest child turns 14, you transition from Sole Parent Support to JobSeeker Support (the standard unemployment/low-income benefit), which has work obligations attached. Work and Income will notify you before this transition happens.

Relationship status: You must be genuinely without a partner. If you enter a new relationship, your eligibility and payment amount may change.

The Income Test

Sole Parent Support is income tested. The abatement works like this:

• You can earn a certain amount per week before the benefit starts reducing
• Above that threshold, the benefit reduces by a set amount for every dollar you earn

The current abatement threshold is around $160 per week. Above that, the benefit reduces by approximately $0.70 for every dollar of additional income. Once your income is high enough, the payment reaches zero — though you remain in the system and can have the benefit reinstated if your income drops.

This structure means part-time work while receiving Sole Parent Support is not only allowed — it's expected and encouraged. Work and Income will ask about your work plans as part of the application.

How Sole Parent Support Differs From ACC Survivor Benefits

This distinction matters significantly, so it's worth being explicit.

If your partner died as a result of an accident or injury covered by ACC — a car crash, workplace accident, fall, or similar — ACC is likely to be your primary source of ongoing financial support, not Sole Parent Support.

ACC weekly compensation for surviving spouses/partners pays a percentage of the deceased's pre-accident earnings on an ongoing basis. For higher-earning partners, this can substantially exceed Sole Parent Support rates. ACC compensation is also not income tested in the same way — you keep receiving it regardless of your own employment.

In addition, ACC pays weekly compensation for each dependent child.

If ACC is paying compensation, you may still qualify for supplementary Work and Income payments, but Sole Parent Support may not be the primary benefit in your situation.

If the death was not covered by ACC — illness, old age, causes unrelated to accidents — then Sole Parent Support is the main ongoing income support.

For the complete picture of what's available following a partner's death in New Zealand, including how ACC and Work and Income entitlements interact, the guide at bereavementstartguide.com/nz/survivor-benefits walks through both pathways with current figures.

Applying for Sole Parent Support

Apply as soon as possible. Sole Parent Support generally starts from the date you apply — not from the date your partner died. Every week you delay is income you don't receive.

Contact Work and Income:

• Phone: 0800 559 009 (Monday–Friday, 7am–6pm)
• Online: workandincome.govt.nz (create or log in to a MyMSD account)
• In person: any Work and Income office

Have ready:

• Your identity documents (passport, driver's licence)
• IRD number
• Bank account details
• Death certificate (or funeral home confirmation if the certificate hasn't been issued yet)
• Details of any income you receive
• Information about your housing costs (for Accommodation Supplement assessment)

Work and Income will also ask about your childcare arrangements and work plans. They may refer you to employment support services — this is standard procedure and not an indication that they don't expect to approve your benefit.

Work Requirements

Sole Parent Support comes with graduated work obligations:

• While you have a child under 3: no work requirements (you're expected to be the full-time caregiver)
• Child aged 3–4: you're expected to be available for part-time work (20 hours per week)
• Child aged 5–13: you're expected to be working 20 hours per week or actively seeking that work

These obligations are phased in, and Work and Income applies some flexibility in the period immediately following a partner's death. If you're not ready to discuss work obligations while you're in the acute period of grief, say so — they have capacity to defer those conversations.

The 28-Day NZ Superannuation Continuation

If your partner was receiving NZ Superannuation, WINZ will continue paying at the couples' rate for 28 days after you notify them of the death. This 28-day period gives you time to adjust before payments drop to the single rate.

If you're below NZ Super age (currently 65) and your partner was the superannuitant while you weren't yet eligible, you may find yourself in a situation where that income stops entirely after 28 days. In that case, applying for Sole Parent Support promptly ensures you don't have a gap in income.

What to Do This Week

1. Notify Work and Income of the death (call 0800 559 009 or use myTrove)
2. Ask whether you're eligible for Sole Parent Support and request to begin an application
3. If your partner's death was accidental, also contact ACC (0800 101 996) before you complete the WINZ application
4. Gather income and housing cost information for the application
5. Ask about supplementary payments — Accommodation Supplement, Disability Allowance — at the same time

The benefit system is not intuitive, and the interaction between ACC and Work and Income can be complex. If you're uncertain which pathway applies or whether you're receiving what you're entitled to, contact Citizens Advice Bureau or a community advocate — they can help you navigate the system without charge.

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