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Moving from a benefit to study
If you're getting a benefit and thinking about study, you may be able to get help from Work and Income, StudyLink, or both.
The type of help you can get, and who you get this from, depends on your situation.
You need to know whether you can keep getting your benefit before you decide what to apply for.
Talk to Work and Income as soon as you can if you're thinking about study. They'll tell you if you can keep getting your benefit.
Help from Work and Income
If you're studying full-time, you may be able to keep getting:
- Sole Parent Support
- Supported Living Payment
- Youth Payment
- Young Parent Payment.
In some circumstances you may be able to get:
- Childcare Assistance
- Disability Allowance
- Accommodation Supplement
- Temporary Additional Support.
You can’t get Jobseeker Support if you’re studying full-time.
You may also be able to get the Training Incentive Allowance to help with study costs. You must be getting a certain type of benefit to get this. There's more information about this on the Work and Income website:
Help from StudyLink
If your benefit stops we may be able to help you pay living expenses with a:
- Student Allowance and Accommodation Benefit, or
- Student Loan for living costs.
You may also be able to get a Student Loan to help pay for your compulsory course fees and course-related costs (eg, books, travel, etc).
In some circumstances you may be able to get:
- Childcare Assistance
- Disability Allowance
- Accommodation Supplement
- Temporary Additional Support.
If you're already getting these payments from Work and Income and can keep getting them while you study, we'll make sure they continue.
Redirections of your benefit
A redirection of your benefit is where all or part of your benefit is paid to another person or organisation, before any money is paid to you. You may have set this up to make regular payments for things like rent or power. If your benefit payments stop, any redirections from your benefit will also stop. You will need to arrange a new way to pay these costs.
Working for Families
If you get Working for Families payments from Work and Income, these payments will also stop when your benefit stops. You need to contact Inland Revenue to check if you can still get Working for Families payments while you're studying.
Help from Work and Income and StudyLink
If you keep getting your benefit, you may also be able to get a Student Loan to pay your:
- compulsory course fees
- course-related costs (eg, books, travel, etc).
Help from Work and Income
If you're studying part-time, you may be able to keep getting:
- Jobseeker Support
- Sole Parent Support
- Supported Living Payment
- Youth Payment
- Young Parent Payment.
You may also be able to get:
- Childcare Assistance
- Disability Allowance
- Accommodation Supplement
- Temporary Additional Support.
You may also be able to get the Training Incentive Allowance to help with study costs. You must be getting a certain type of benefit to get this. There’s more information about this on the Work and Income website:
Help from StudyLink
If your benefit stops, you may be able to get a Student Loan to pay your compulsory course fees.
You may also be able to get:
- Accommodation Supplement
- Disability Allowance
- Childcare Assistance
- Temporary Additional Support.
Redirections of your benefit
A redirection of your benefit is where all or part of your benefit is paid to another person or organisation, before any money is paid to you. You may have set this up to make regular payments for things like rent or power. If your benefit payments stop, any redirections from your benefit will also stop. You will need to arrange a new way to pay these costs.
Working for Families
If you get Working for Families payments from Work and Income, these payments will also stop when your benefit stops. You need to contact Inland Revenue to check if you can still get Working for Families payments while you're studying.
Studying part-time for a good reason
If you're studying part-time for a good reason, you can be classed as a full-time student. This means you may be able to get either:
- Student Allowance and Accommodation Benefit
- Student Loan for living costs and course-related costs (eg. books, travel, etc).
Help from Work and Income and StudyLink
If you keep getting your benefit, you may also be able to get a Student Loan to pay your compulsory course fees.
If you're studying part-time for a good reason, you can be classed as a full-time student. This means you may also be able to get a Student Loan for course-related costs (eg, books, travel, etc).
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