Redundancy Services for Employees
An information guide for employees. Work and Income has a range of information and advice on the type of services that will help support you if you are affected by redundancy. In the following pages we detail the services we offer and the support available to you from other government and community agencies.
Redundancy Support
Redundancy Support is an information and advice service that is provided in confidence when a business is downsizing, closing or relocating.
Work and Income can support you during this time by:
- advising of other jobs available in the area
- talking with you individually about your situation
- supporting you in finding another job
- helping with CV preparation
- discussing further training opportunities
- providing information about income support entitlements.
You can only claim for redundancy payments derived before 1 October 2011.
Other support that may help you
Tax credit help through Inland Revenue
If you are getting a redundancy payment, you may be eligible for a Redundancy Tax Credit. You can only claim for redundancy payments received before 1 October 2011.
You should apply for the tax credit at the time of redundancy by filling out the IR524 application form, attaching a payslip, a letter from your employer and a copy of your employer’s redundancy calculation.
Documentation should clearly show the redundancy payment amount.
Visit www.ird.govt.nz or call 0800 020 012 and ask for the IR524 form or visit any Inland Revenue office.
Working for Families
Working for Families is designed to help make it easier to work and raise a family. It pays extra money to many thousands of New Zealand families.
Financial support is available for:
- almost all families with children, earning under $70,000 a year
- many families with children, earning up to $100,000 a year
- some larger families earning more.
If you have been made redundant and your partner is still working, you may be entitled to have your Working for Families assistance reviewed.
Visit www.workingforfamilies.govt.nz or call 0800 257 477.
Finding a new job
Work and Income can offer career guidance and help you find a job that’s right for you.
If work isn’t available straight away you may want to consider gaining work experience and learning new skills by doing voluntary work.
Work and Income has a range of pre-employment and training programmes that may help you get back into the workforce and gain skills tailored to specific industries. To find out more about the programmes available in your area talk to your Work Broker.
Unpaid leave
If you are still employed, but have agreed with your employer to take unpaid leave, contact us to talk about what help may be available to you.
Retraining for free
You may be interested in undertaking further training to upgrade your skills. Some tertiary institutes have reduced or waived their fees for people experiencing redundancy and some courses are available online.
Work and Income can advise you of any free training available through tertiary institutes in your area and the type of training courses available through other community or industry groups.
Other useful information
Sorted
Sorted is New Zealand’s free independent money guide run by the Retirement Commission. They provide tips for coping with redundancy. They will give you independent advice and you can use their online calculators to help you manage your money.
Careers New Zealand
Being made redundant can be one of the most stressful events in your life. However, unplanned change can create opportunities to enrich your life and take career paths you would not otherwise have considered. Careers New Zealand is a free advice and support service that helps people find a job, plan for a career and get information about further education and training. They have special sections on their website about redundancy.
or call the advice line on 0800 222 733.
Budget advice
The Work and Income brochure ‘Managing your money – what it means to have a budget’, has been developed with the New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services.
You will find Budget Advice services in your local phonebook, or phone Budgetline free on 0508 283 438.
Other languages
Work and Income information is available in other languages through our multilingual 0800 service, which is available Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm. The languages available through our 0800 service include Arabic, Farsi, Cantonese and Mandarin, Punjabi, Hindi, Ma-ori, Samoan, Tongan and Somali.
The dedicated 0800 numbers are in the Government section of the white pages under Work and Income or in this page:
