Earlier changes

What's new

23 April 2018

Special Benefit - Cancelling Special Benefit

Special Benefit should be cancelled when the client:

  • chooses not to continue receiving Special Benefit or
  • no longer qualifies for Special Benefit

if the eligibility criteria are no longer met for both Special Benefit and Temporary Additional Support, a client can choose to receive other forms of assistance, but not both.

A client can choose to cancel Special Benefit at any point. However, if a client chooses to cancel their Special Benefit, they cannot be granted Special Benefit at a later date.

See, Special Benefit:

Special Benefit clients better off on Temporary Additional Support - Payment of arrears

Because of a Ministry error, Special Benefit clients were previously unable to choose to move to Temporary Additional Support. The Ministry has fixed the error and some clients will receive a back payment of Temporary Additional Support.

Temporary Additional Support arrears paid on or after 18 August 2017 to Special Benefit clients who would have been better off receiving Temporary Additional Support are not included as income and cash assets for the 12 months from the date of payment. See:

Cash assets exemptions

Guidance on cash asset exemptions that apply to some assistance has been amended. See:

Temporary Additional Support

When a spouse or partner is in residential care they may be eligible for Temporary Additional Support. Guidance has been updated to be clear that a manual calculation is required to determine the rate of payment. See:

.

1 April 2018

Deskfile

Rates increased on 1 April 2018 by the annual general adjustment have been amended in Deskfile. Other parts of Map have also been amended to incorporate the increased rates.

Minimum wage

The adult minimum wage, the starting-out wage, and the training minimum wage increased on 1 April 2018. See:

Accommodation Supplement

The maximum rates of Accommodation Supplement increased on 1 April 2018, and these have been amended where they're used in Map. The new rates are:

People in the household

Area 1
maximum

Area 2
maximum

Area 3
maximum

Area 4
maximum

1

$165

$105

$80

$70

2

$235

$155

$105

$80

3+

$305

$220

$160

$120

The area definitions for Accommodation Supplement also changed on 1 April 2018. See:

Accommodation Benefit

The maximum rate of Accommodation Benefit increased from $40 to $60 on 1 April 2018, and many of the standard rates increased on 1 April 2018. See:

Student Loan - Repayment thresholds

The Student Loan repayment thresholds increased on 1 April 2018. See:

Student Allowance and Student Loan - Payments

The increase in Student Allowance and Student Loan payments due to the annual general adjustment will apply and be paid from Sunday 1 April 2018. See:

Student Allowance - Income and recognised relationships

The rate of Student Allowance can be affected by personal income, parental income, or a partner's income. The income that's considered in each case depends on the student's age and whether they are in a recognised relationship. See:

Transitional Assistance Payment

Transitional Assistance Payment is a temporary non-taxable payment for clients whose extra help may have been reduced by the Families Package. Clients will automatically get a Transitional Assistance Payment if this applies. See:

Legislation

The following ministerial direction has been updated, effective from 1 April 2018:

This is also available in a hard-copy (PDF) format. See ministerial directions.

The following welfare programme has been added, effective from 1 April 2018:

This is also available in a hard-copy (PDF) format. See welfare programmes.

The following welfare programmes have been updated, effective from 1 April 2018:

These are also available in a hard-copy (PDF) format. See welfare programmes.

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