Earlier changes

What's new

1 July 2025

Jobseeker Support - 26-week expiry and reapplication process

From 1 July 2025, the 26-week expiry and reapplication process will replace the 52-week expiry and reapplication process for Jobseeker Support clients.

Current clients will transition to the 26-week expiry and reapplication process based on how close their commencement date is to 1 July 2025.

See:

We have clarified that clients must complete the reapplication process before their expiry date.

Removal of annual income charging and the temporary employment period

From 1 July 2025, all Jobseeker Support clients will be subject to weekly income charging.

Sole parent and grandparented Jobseeker Support clients getting Jobseeker Support before 1 July 2025 will complete their current income review period before moving to weekly income charging and the 26 week expiry and reapplication cycle.

Once these clients move to weekly income charging and the 26 week expiry and reapplication, they will no longer be able to access the temporary full-time employment period.

See:

If a client is working full-time when they move to weekly income charging, they will no longer be entitled to get Jobseeker Support.

Sole Parent Support

From 1 July 2025, Sole Parent Support clients who are working full-time when their youngest dependent child turns 14 cannot be automatically transferred to Jobseeker Support, as they will not meet the qualifications.

Sole parents who transfer to Jobseeker Support from 1 July 2025 will be subject to weekly income charging.

See:

We have clarified that clients must complete the reapplication process before their expiry date. Other minor clarifications have been made throughout the manual to improve consistency.

Jobseeker Support Student Hardship

All sole parents whose Jobseeker Support Student Hardship commences on or after 1 July 2025 are subject to weekly income charging.

Sole parent clients getting Jobseeker Support Student Hardship before 1 July 2025 may have their income charged annually, until their benefit is cancelled.

See:

Other changes to Jobseeker Support Student Hardship include:

  • the removal of the temporary full-time employment period for sole parents as this does not apply to clients getting Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
  • the removal of the 52 week reapplication process as this does not apply to clients getting Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
  • the removal of process information that relates to suspension and cancellation of payment as this is n Doogle (see Suspensions [no link find out why] and Cancellations [no link find out why] )
  • consolidated charging income pages so that charging income for single clients and couples, and sole parents are in one place (see Charging income)

Residential Care Subsidy

The Residential Care Subsidy asset thresholds, income from assets exemptions, and Territorial Local Authority maximum contribution rates increased on 1 July 2025. See:

Temporary Accommodation Assistance

The Temporary Accommodation Assistance content has been updated to reflect that this has expired and is no longer available.

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23 June 2025

Funeral Grant

The Funeral Grant content has been updated to:

  • provide more guidance about paying reasonable expenses for the proper disposal of a body in another country for a person who died in New Zealand and was ordinarily resident here at the time of their death
  • confirm that as for ordinarily resident New Zealanders who die overseas, a Funeral Grant cannot be paid for expenses relating to moving the body to another country from where they died

See:

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