Earlier changes

What's new

9 September 2024

Territorial Local Authority maximum contribution

Following 1 July 2024 Residential Care Subsidy changes due to the annual general adjustments, Territorial Local Authority maximum contribution rates have also changed from 1 September 2024. Health NZ have added isolated rural areas and the rates for these areas have now been added to MAP.

See: 

$5k to Work (Employment and work readiness assistance)

The purpose of the $5k to Work incentive payment is to assist clients who have secured suitable and sustainable employment to relocate. To get this assistance clients must meet the qualifications. One of these is being at risk of long-term benefit receipt, as outlined in the Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Programme.

A new page has been added to include clearer guidance on deciding if someone applying for $5k to Work is at risk of long-term benefit receipt.

See:

4 September 2024

Childcare Subsidy - Hours of attendance

From 3 June 2024 home-based educators can require ‘home-based educator top-up payments’ to cover the difference between the 20 hours ECE pass-through funding and the educator’s usual hourly rate. To cover the increase in caregivers’ childcare costs the Childcare Subsidy (CCS) and Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment (GCAP) can be accessed by eligible caregivers to help pay for the home-based educator top-up payments.

See:

26 August 2024

Emergency Housing Grants Programme

From 26 August 2024, the following changes will be implemented for Emergency Housing Grants:

  • Emergency Housing Grants and Security Deposits Grants will be removed from the Special Needs Grants Programme and moved into a new welfare programme: the Emergency Housing Grants Programme
  • The introduction of new responsibilities and activities, the client must understand, agree to, and meet the responsibilities to qualify for emergency housing
  • There are new consequences for not meeting the responsibilities (including warnings and a 13-week non-entitlement period for emergency housing)
  • The Emergency Housing Grants Programme allows MSD to require a client to provide supporting evidence when granting Emergency Housing Grants
  • Emergency Housing Grants can no longer be made recoverable. Recoverability was rarely used and will be replaced with consequences such as warnings and a non-entitlement period
  • The removal of the welfare assessment. This required MSD to consider whether declining an Emergency Housing Grant would: worsen the clients position, or create or increase a risk to the client or their immediate family’s welfare, or cause them serious hardship. This is no longer part of the assessment of eligibility for Emergency Housing

See: 

Housing Support Products

The Housing Support Product guidance has been updated to clarify how the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 applies to clients in boarding houses and relocatable accommodation.

See:

Top