Online application process

Complete and submit the online form through MyMSD.

You'll need to register for MyMSD first if you haven't already done this.

If you're already registered, you can log in as you normally would.

Go to My MSD login

The online form can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete. But, as long as you've started it, you can save it and come back to it later.

It'll automatically work out what you might be able to get based on your answers.

Your obligations are things you need to do when you get a benefit or payment from us. If you don't do them, your payments could reduce or stop.

You need to confirm that you've read and understood your obligations in MyMSD.

If you don't understand your obligations, or want to talk to us about them, we can discuss these during your appointment (see step 6).

You'll be given a list of documents that we need to see. These will be for yourself and your partner (if you have one).

You can upload these documents in MyMSD as part of your application. MyMSD will tell you how to do this and what types of documents you can upload.

You can upload these types of files:

• JPEG and PNG files less than 5MB
• Word and Excel files less than 500KB
• PDF files less than 5MB.

If there are any documents you can't upload in MyMSD, we'll talk with you about how you can get these to us during your appointment (in step 6). If you can't provide these documents online, you can bring them into a service centre. We'll make a copy and add it to your file or application.

MyMSD will tell you if you need to get a medical certificate and how to send it to us.

Some health practitioners send us medical certificates electronically. You need to make sure they include your client number on the certificate when they send it to us.

Verify your identity if this is your first time applying - you can do this either:

• online using Identity Check, or
• by bringing your government-issued identity document into a service centre (you can do this during an appointment or without one).

If you can't come in, or you don't have government-issued ID, talk to us about ways we can help.

Call us

You need an appointment with us as part of your application.

Please call us to book the appointment, unless you're applying for NZ Super.

In most cases, we’ll need you to come in for a face-to-face appointment. However, there may be times when we book you a phone appointment.

NZ Super

If you're applying for NZ Super, you don't need to call us. We'll reach out to you closer to your 65th birthday, or when you qualify for NZ Super.

We'll process your application and let you know by phone or letter when this is done.

If you disagree with our decision, you can ask for a review of decision.

Most weekly benefits have a stand-down. This is a period of time where you can't get any money from us. It's usually 1 or 2 weeks after your application is approved.

Your payments will start from the date after your stand-down finishes. If you've been working recently, your payments may take longer to start.

Once your payments start, you won't get any money in the first week. This is because we pay you for the week that's just been. This is called arrears.

MyMSD will tell you when your payments will start.

Once you're getting paid, you can log in to MyMSD to access some of your personal information and complete certain transactions yourself, e.g. telling us about your income.

Go to My MSD login