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How to apply for help with a cost

If you need help with an urgent, unexpected or one-off essential cost, you can find out how we can help here:

The link above will also tell you how to apply for these costs. If your application is approved, we'll check how we can pay this. Some costs will not need a payment card – we'll let you know if this is the case.

If we need to put this onto a payment card for you, we'll check if you already have a card. If you don't, you'll need to pick up a card from your local Work and Income service centre - see below to find out how to do this.

How to get a payment card

Step 1:

You can get a payment card from any Work and Income service centre. There's a list of their locations on the Work and Income website:

Step 2:

Go to reception and ask for a payment card. You need to have:

• your client number
• a government issued identity document (for example a driver licence, birth certificate, or passport).

You don't need an appointment for this.

Step 3:

Our staff will finish your application and load the money onto your card.

They will tell you:

• how much money is on the card - you can also
• which shops you can use it at
• what you can buy with it
• how long the money will stay on the card for.

Step 4:

You need to set a PIN on your card before you can use it.

The easiest way is to do it online:

1. Log in to .
2. Go to 'My payment cards'.
3. Select the card you want to add a PIN for.
4. Enter a 4-digit PIN - don't use a PIN that is consecutive, easily associated with you (like birthdays), or the numbers on your card.
5. Re-enter your PIN.
6. Done! Your PIN is now ready to go.

If you can't use MyStudyLink to set your PIN, call us and say "set my card PIN", or go here if you're deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment.

If you've registered your voice you can set your PIN over the phone at any time without waiting to talk to a person. If you haven't registered your voice you'll need to call during our contact centre opening hours to talk to us.

You can follow the same steps above to reset your PIN or unlock your card.

Step 5:

Sign the back of your card. When you use the card you will need to sign your receipt, and the shop staff will check this matches the signature on your card.

Keep your payment card in a safe place. If you need further payments, we can load them onto this card, so you don't need to go to a service centre to get another one.

Getting a Notice of Credit letter instead of a payment card

There are times when we need to give you a Notice of Credit letter instead of a payment card. This can happen when:

• the EFTPOS network or our internal systems are down
• there's a state of emergency or natural disaster
• you're unable to use a payment card.

When you call us to apply, we'll talk about whether you need this letter.