You may apply for a benefit if you have suffered or are suffering from significant financial hardship.

A significant financial hardship benefit is an avenue of last resort. It is not an automatic benefit, and your application must meet specific criteria before we can grant it. For example, we expect you will have first explored other reasonable options to address your financial situation. However, we understand the stressful nature of Police work and will consider this when assessing your application. If your application is reasonable and appropriate and falls within the guidelines, we will do our best to help you.

We have adopted guidelines to help us consider applications. We will consider granting applications in the following circumstances:

• You are unable to meet the cost of your basic living expenses.
• You have suffered damage or loss of property through natural disaster (fire, flood, earthquake and so on) or other cause beyond your reasonable control and financial assistance is not available through normal sources, e.g. insurance, Toka Tū Ake EQC.
• You or a member of your immediate family is in need of medical attention that you cannot afford and funding from the public health service and/or medical insurance is insufficient. Examples include but are not limited to the cost of:
  • modifying a residence to meet special needs arising from a disability
  • dental work
  • unfunded cancer treatment
  • palliative care.
• You are unable to cover the cost of a funeral for a dependant.
• You are unable to meet mortgage payments on your principal family home which could result in the mortgagee seeking to enforce the mortgage on the residence.
• Your creditors have threatened to take proceedings under the Insolvency Act 2006 or similar, and your bankruptcy is imminent.
• You have an urgent and unexpected need for funds beyond your reasonable control, for example:
  • the loss of all or part of your own and/or your partner’s income due to illness or caring for a sick or disabled family member
  • taking on additional family responsibilities due to the death of a parent or sibling.
• You need financial relief to provide time to restructure your finances.

The amount payable is at our discretion. It will not exceed the amount that would have been paid had you left service on the date you applied for a hardship benefit. Any payment is made first from your member’s account and any remainder from your employer’s account.

You need to complete a significant financial hardship form to apply for a hardship benefit. You’ll find more information to help you prepare an application on the form, including a list of the supporting documentation you’ll need to provide.