Special Needs Grant: one-off help with an essential or emergency cost
A Special Needs Grant is a one-off payment from Work and Income for an essential or emergency cost that you have no other way to pay. It can help with things like dental treatment, an ambulance bill, health travel or new bedding. You do not need to be on a benefit to get one, and it is not taxed.
Many Special Needs Grants do not have to be paid back. Some are recoverable, which means you repay them. Work and Income tells you which kind you are getting before you accept it.
The basics
- Who can get it: You must be a New Zealand citizen, a permanent resident or hold a residence class visa.
- You do not need to be on a benefit: People in work on a low income can apply.
- It is for a cost you cannot meet: You need to show there is no other way to pay, such as savings or another agency.
- Income limit: From 1 April 2026, your weekly income before tax must be under $1,010.41 if you are single and 18 or over, $879.17 if you are 16 or 17, $1,467.61 for a couple, $1,226.09 for a sole parent with 1 child, or $1,291.75 for a sole parent with 2 or more children.
- Cash asset limit: Under $1,411.22 if you are single, or $2,351.46 for a couple or sole parent. Your home, car and everyday belongings do not count.
- It is usually paid to the business: The money goes straight to the dentist, supplier or provider, or onto a payment card. Private sales are not covered.
What it can help with
Work and Income groups the costs into two kinds.
Essential costs include dental treatment, bedding, food, travel to health appointments, driver licence fees, wigs, laser treatment for birthmarks, a breast pump, and repairs to a septic or effluent system.
Emergency costs include ambulance fees, urgent medical treatment, medical equipment, refilling a water tank, and replacing important ID documents.
Each cost has a guide maximum. These are some of the main ones, usually over any 52-week period.
| Cost | Guide maximum |
|---|---|
| Dental treatment | $1,000 per family member |
| Ambulance fees | $500 |
| Medical equipment | $500 |
| Urgent medical treatment | $300 |
| Travel to health appointments | $300, or $400 with a support person |
| Bedding | $200 |
| Wig | $300 |
| Water tank refill | $500 |
How a decision is made
For an emergency cost, Work and Income looks at three things: whether you knew the cost was coming, whether you could have paid it yourself, and how the grant would help you. A cost that came out of nowhere, such as an ambulance bill, is easier to get help with than one you could have planned for.
Worked example. Tom is 45, single and works part-time, earning $620 a week before tax. He cracks a tooth and the dentist quotes $780 to fix it. He has $150 in savings.
His income: $620 is under the $1,010.41 limit.
His savings: $150 is under the $1,411.22 limit.
The cost: $780 is within the $1,000 guide for dental treatment.
Result: Tom could ask for a Special Needs Grant for the dental work, paid straight to the dentist.
The catch
- Get a quote first. Work and Income usually needs a written quote or invoice from a reputable business before it pays.
- Ask whether it is recoverable. Some grants, such as driver licence fees, are usually paid back. If yours is, repayments are normally kept small, often no more than $40 a week across all your Work and Income debts.
- The limits are guides, not promises. You can still be turned down if Work and Income thinks you have another way to pay.
- Repeat help comes with conditions. If you get grants or advances on 3 or more occasions in 12 months, you may be asked to work with a budgeting service.
- On a benefit? If a Special Needs Grant does not fit, you may be able to get an Advance Payment of Benefit instead, which you pay back. If you are not on a benefit, ask about a Recoverable Assistance Payment.
Do this next
- Get a quote or invoice for the cost, in writing.
- Check your income and savings are under the limits above.
- Phone Work and Income on 0800 559 009 and say you want to apply for a Special Needs Grant. If you already use MyMSD, you can start there.
- Explain why you cannot pay it another way, and what it will help with.
- Ask whether the grant is recoverable before you accept it.
- If you are turned down and think the decision is wrong, you can ask for a review within 3 months.
Going in to see Work and Income? Our free Interview Room helps you get ready.
Common questions
Do I have to pay a Special Needs Grant back?
Often not. Many are non-recoverable. Some, such as driver licence fees, are usually recoverable. Work and Income tells you which before you accept.
Can I get a Special Needs Grant if I work?
Yes, if your income and savings are under the limits.
Will they give me the cash?
Usually not. The money is normally paid to the business or loaded onto a payment card. Paying you directly only happens in exceptional cases.
Is a food grant a Special Needs Grant?
Yes. A food grant is a Special Needs Grant for food, with its own limits. See our guide to food grants.
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Last reviewed 16 October 2026. Written by Streetwise from the official pages listed above. General information only, not legal or financial advice.