-
Benefits and payments homepage
-
Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
-
Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
-
Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
-
Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
-
Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
-
Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
-
Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
-
Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
-
Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
-
Payment issues
Fixing issues with Accommodation Supplement, Special Benefit and other payments we’ve made
-
16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
-
Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
-
-
Work homepage
-
Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
-
Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
-
Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
-
Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
-
Apprenticeship Support Programme
Get help to retain and bring on new apprentices.
-
CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
-
Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
-
Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
-
Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
-
Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
-
Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
-
Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
-
-
On a benefit homepage
-
Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
-
Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
-
Income
Declare income, wages deduction calculator and tables
-
Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
-
Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
-
Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
-
Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
-
Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
-
-
Housing homepage
-
Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
-
Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
-
Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
-
Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
-
Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
-
Families Package
14 December 2017.
The new Families Package announced by the Government includes a Winter Energy Payment, Best Start tax credit, changes to Accommodation Supplement and Working for Families tax credits.
Updated: 11 June 2018
From 1 July 2018, a Winter Energy Payment will be available to help with the cost of heating homes during the winter.
You don't need to do anything to get this payment - if you qualify, it'll be paid to you automatically.
Who can get it
You can get the Winter Energy Payment if you’re getting either:
- New Zealand Superannuation
- Veteran’s Pension
- Emergency Maintenance Allowance
- Jobseeker Support
- Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
- Sole Parent Support
- Supported Living Payment
- Youth Payment
- Young Parent Payment
- Emergency Benefit.
Who can't get it
You won’t get this payment if you’re getting Residential Care Subsidy or Residential Support Subsidy.
What you can get
You can get:
- $20.46 a week if you’re single with no dependent children
- $31.82 a week if you have a partner or dependent children.
This will be paid from 1 July to 29 September 2018. From 2019, it will be paid from 1 May to 1 October. You don't have to pay it back.
The Winter Energy Payment won’t affect other payments you get from us and isn’t considered income (for tax purposes).
Your first payment in 2018
Your first payment in July will be a part payment and your second payment will be for the full amount.
This is because you get paid for the week (or 2 weeks if you get NZ Super) that's just been. As 1 July is part-way through this pay period, you won't get the full amount in your first July payment.
Travelling overseas during the payment period
If you leave New Zealand while this payment is being made (and you're still getting your benefit or NZ Super payment) your Winter Energy Payment will continue for the first 4 weeks you're out of the country, but will stop from the beginning of the 5th week.
If you're back in New Zealand before the Winter Energy Payment ends (eg 29 September 2018), you'll need to restart your payments.
Don't want the payment
If you don’t want the Winter Energy Payment, you can choose not to get it.
Best Start tax credit is a new payment from Inland Revenue. You can get $60 a week for each child born (or due) on or after 1 July 2018, until they turn 1. Then, from the age of 1 until they turn 3, if your family's income is:
- under $79,000 a year before tax, you can continue to get $60 a week
- over $79,000 a year before tax, your Best Start tax credit will reduce by 21 cents for every $1 you earn over $79,000.
It will also be available to caregivers getting either:
- Orphan’s Benefit
- Unsupported Child’s Benefit, or
- Foster Care Allowance.
Paid Parental Leave
If you’re getting Paid Parental Leave, you can’t get the Best Start tax credit until your Paid Parental Leave ends.
How to apply
If you get the Family Tax Credit from:
- us, you'll get paid the Best Start tax credit automatically
- Inland Revenue, you may need to apply for it on their website.
The changes to Accommodation Supplement payments, announced as part of the May 2017 Budget, will go ahead as planned.
This means from 1 April 2018, if you’re getting Accommodation Supplement, this payment may go up.
This change will be made automatically, you won't need to do anything.
How much you get for Accommodation Supplement is based on:
- the Area you live in
- your accommodation costs for the place you live in
- your income
- your cash assets
- your family circumstances.
The maximum amount you can get for Accommodation Supplement depends on where you live.
Why it's changing
Places in New Zealand are allocated into 4 different Accommodation Supplement Areas based on their local housing costs, with Area 1 having the highest housing costs and Area 4 having the lowest.
From 1 April 2018:
- the maximum rates for all 4 Areas will go up
- some places will move into a different Accommodation Supplement Area.
This means, if you're getting Accommodation Supplement:
- it may go up regardless of where you live
- if you live in a place that moves to a different Area, it could go up significantly.
Getting Temporary Additional Support or Childcare Assistance
If you get:
- Temporary Additional Support and your Accommodation Supplement payment goes up, in most cases your Temporary Additional Support will go down.
- a Childcare Assistance payment, eg Childcare Subsidy or Out of School Care and Recreation Subsidy, and your Accommodation Supplement goes up, in some cases your childcare payment will go down.
This is because Accommodation Supplement is counted as income for these payments.
A very small number of people may find they get less money overall because of their particular circumstances. If you're in this situation or get less Childcare Assistance, we'll contact you about a transitional assistance payment to cover the difference. This payment will be available until your income goes up for up to 12 months.
The Working for Families changes are different to those announced in the May 2017 Budget.
Family Tax Credit
From 1 July 2018, if you get the Family Tax Credit, the amount you get may increase.
This increase may impact other payments you get from us, like Accommodation Supplement, Temporary Additional Support or Special Benefit. The total amount you get from us won't be any less than what you're getting now.
This change will be made automatically, you won't need to do anything.
Eldest child
Age of children |
Current |
From 1 July 2018 |
Weekly increase |
0-15 years | $92.73 | $113.04 | +$20.31 |
16-18 years | $101.98 | $113.04 | +$11.06 |
Second or subsequent child
Age of children |
Current |
From 1 July 2018 |
Weekly increase |
0-12 years | $64.44 | $91.25 | +$26.81 |
13-15 years | $73.50 | $91.25 | +$17.75 |
16-18 years | $91.25 | $91.25 | Nil |
Income thresholds
Currently, if your income is above $36,350 a year, it affects how much you get for some Working for Families tax credits.
From 1 July 2018, if your income is above $42,700 a year, some of your Working for Families tax credits will reduce by 25 cents for every $1 you earn over $42,700.
Minimum Family Tax Credit
Currently, if your income is below $23,816 a year after tax, you may be able to get the Minimum Family Tax Credit.
From 1 April 2018, this income limit will change to $26,156 a year after tax.
When you'll get your increase
If your Working for Families tax credits are paid by us, you'll get the increased rate for 1 day in your first July payment and you'll see the full increase from your second payment onwards. This is because you get paid for the week that's just been.
This change will be made automatically, you won't need to do anything.
Orphan's Benefit and Unsupported Child's Benefit
Age of child |
Current weekly rate |
From 1 July 2018 |
Under 5 years | $149.66 | $169.97 |
5-9 years | $173.68 | $193.99 |
10-13 years | $191.64 | $211.95 |
14+ years | $209.52 | $229.83 |
Foster Care Allowance
Category |
Current weekly rate |
From 1 July 2018 |
Child 0-4 years | $149.66 | $169.97 |
Child 5-9 years | $173.68 | $193.99 |
Child 10-13 years | $191.64 | $211.95 |
Child 14+ years | $209.52 | $229.83 |
Family home | $195.36 | $215.67 |
When you'll get your increase
You'll get the increased rate for 1 day in your first July payment and you'll see the full increase from your second payment onwards. This is because you get paid for the week that's just been.
The tax changes announced as part of the May 2017 Budget will no longer be made. The Government is putting their focus into helping lower and middle income families with children.