Rural Assistance Payments

Rural Assistance Payments are paid during or after an adverse event. They're paid to help farmers with essential living costs.

Adverse events

Adverse events are climatic events, natural disasters or biosecurity issues. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) classifies these as either localised events, or medium- or large- scale events.

If it's a medium or large scale event, the Government then decides what sort of assistance will be provided.

Find out how adverse events are classified on the Ministry for Primary Industries' website:

How we classify adverse events (Ministry for Primary Industries)external

You may be able to get a Rural Assistance Payment if:

• you're finding it difficult to meet your essential living costs through your farming business because of an adverse event.
• your farm is your main source of income, e.g:
  • meat or poultry farming
  • wool
  • dairy products
  • arable farming
  • aquaculture
  • sharemilking
  • an orchard
  • bee-keeping
  • herb or flower growing
  • a market garden.

It also depends on:

• how much you and your partner earn (not including your farming business), and
• any money or off-farm assets you and your partner have. 

Income limits

If you have other income other than your farming business, this may affect how much Rural Assistance Payment you get.

You and your partner can earn up to $160 a week (before tax) combined before this affects your payments. If you earn more than this, you may still get a Rural Assistance Payment, but at a lower rate.

Asset limits

To get this payment, any cash or off-farm assets you have must be under a certain amount. This doesn't include farm or orchard assets, such as shares in dairy, meat or fertiliser companies.

Payments are equivalent to the current rate of the Jobseeker Support benefit at the time of the event.

Benefit rates

You or your partner can earn up to $160 per week (before tax) before your Rural Assistance Payments are affected. If you're earning more than this, you may still be able to get Rural Assistance Payments at a reduced rate, which will be paid weekly.

Tax is automatically deducted at 'M' rate.

Rural Assistance Payments are generally paid in a lump sum covering 4 weeks. If you need the payment for longer than this, you'll need to reapply every 4 weeks.

You can apply for Rural Assistance Payments for:

• up to one year from the date you apply, or
• a set length of time, which is approved by the Minister for Social Development.

You'll get paid for whichever is the shortest of these options.

You need to:

1. Fill out the 'Rural Assistance Payment Application' form:

2. Get the declaration part of the form signed by either:

• an Agri-recovery Facilitator, or
• a Rural Support Trust coordinator

3. Contact either us or the Rural Support Trust to submit your application:

• to contact us (Ministry of Social Development), call 0800 559 009
• to contact your local Rural Support Trust, go to www.rural-support.org.nzexternal

Whoever you contact will tell you how to get the application form to us, and if need to provide any documents.

Rural Assistance Payments are generally paid in a lump sum covering 4 weeks. If you need the payment for longer than this, you'll need to reapply every 4 weeks.

To re-apply, fill out the 'Rural Assistance Payment continuation' form:

Then you can either:

• send it to your local Rural Support Trust (go to their website to find an Agri-recovery Facilitator near you), or
• drop it into your nearest service centre.

Help and Support (Rural Support)external

Find a service centre

We may be able to help you in other ways, for example if you've had to stop work or need help to pay unexpected costs. You can use our online tool to find out what support you might be eligible for, and how to apply for this.