Breaks Between Study

The Jobseeker Support Student Hardship benefit is available to eligible ākonga (students) over the summer break. This is a weekly payment to help with your living expenses during your break, and while you’re registered to look for work.

To be eligible, you must be:

  • 18 years or older with no dependent children, or
  • 20 years or older with dependent children, and
  • Able to meet the residency requirements, and
  • Actively looking for work (30 hours per week minimum) unless you have a health condition, and
  • On a break for more than 3 weeks, and
  • Returning to full-time study after the break, and
  • Experiencing hardship and are able to meet the hardship criteria.

Jobseeker Support Student Hardship also depends on the income you and your partner earn, and the value of your cash assets (if any).

To apply, you will need to:

  1. Register with Student Job Search and write down your Student Job Search number
  2. Complete an application either:
    1. Online via MyStudyLink, or
    2. By printing the form from the StudyLink website and sending it back through Connect
  3. If you aren’t entitled to a student allowance, you also need to complete the Jobseeker Support Student Hardship Additional Hardship form and send it back through Connect.

If approved, you usually receive your first payment in the third week of your break, as there’s a 1-week stand-down, and payments are made 1-week in arrears.

More information can be found on the StudyLink website.