Raising your grandchildren: the support you can get in New Zealand
Most grandparents expect to babysit. Some find themselves raising a grandchild full time. If that’s you, you’re far from alone, and there’s help available.
In the June 2026 quarter, 14,433 caregivers were getting the Unsupported Child’s Benefit or Orphan’s Benefit, according to MSD. That count includes other relatives and family friends as well as grandparents. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ (GRG) supported 6,214 grandparent and whānau care families, raising 16,000 children, in the year to June 2025.
Money from Work and Income
The main payment is the Unsupported Child’s Benefit. It’s for a child whose parents can’t care for them because of a family breakdown. You need to be 18 or over, a citizen or permanent resident, and not the child’s parent or step-parent.
If the child’s parents have died, can’t be found, or can’t care for them because of a serious long-term health condition, the Orphan’s Benefit applies instead. Neither benefit is based on your income.
Both pay the same weekly rates, which are tax-free. From 1 April 2026, that’s $301.53 a week for a child under five, rising to $350.58 for a child aged 14 or over. You’ll need to apply for Child Support from the parents and, in most cases, attend a Family Meeting.
Apply quickly, because Work and Income can’t backdate the payment, and the first one usually takes two to four weeks to arrive. If you’re on NZ Super, your Super stays the same either way, and Work and Income says the Unsupported Child’s Benefit is probably better for you if you qualify.
Some extras come automatically with the benefit. They include a weekly Clothing Allowance, a one-off $350 Establishment Grant for each child, and Holiday and Birthday Allowances. The Extraordinary Care Fund can also pay up to $2,000 a year per child, for a child with developmental difficulties or one showing promise.
You can’t get the Unsupported Child’s Benefit alongside Oranga Tamariki board payments, or Working for Families payments other than the In-work Tax Credit, for the same child.
Formal care and the Family Court
Some grandchildren come to their grandparents through Oranga Tamariki. In that case, you’re a caregiver for the agency and get its care allowance instead, paid fortnightly.
It covers board, personal items and pocket money, plus clothing, Christmas and birthday allowances. A social worker can also help with costs such as uniforms, school camps and fees.
If you’re caring for a grandchild informally, you may want legal standing too.
You can apply to the Family Court for a parenting order. As a grandparent, you’ll first need the court’s permission to apply. You can also apply to be appointed a guardian without the parents’ permission, and there’s no filing fee for that application.
Free help from GRG
GRG membership, advice and advocacy are free for full-time caregivers, and its helpline is 0800 GRANDS (0800 472 637). Its advocates help with income support, the Family Court, Oranga Tamariki, housing and schooling. They don’t give legal advice on your case.
The trust also runs local support groups through its network of volunteers. Groups meet monthly or fortnightly, and some host talks from Work and Income staff and Family Court Navigators.
The money side matters. In the year to June 2025, GRG’s advocates helped 899 families, and $868,896 in income-support arrears was paid out. Financial and income support was the most common reason new members gave for joining.
Zac Johns, GRG’s chair at the time, described what these carers give in the trust’s 2025 report. “Grandparents and whānau caregivers play an extraordinary role in providing safety, stability, and hope for tamariki and rangatahi when it is needed most.”
If you’ve recently taken on a grandchild, call GRG and Work and Income in the first week, and ask about every payment you might qualify for.
