Benefit rates at 1 April 2026
Benefit and payment rates from 1 April 2026.
On 1 April 2026, benefits and some payments will be increasing due to the Annual General Adjustment.
Accommodation Supplement entry thresholds
Entry thresholds are the minimum amount you have to pay each week for accommodation costs. This is one of the criteria you have to meet to get Accommodation Supplement.
What your entry thresholds are depends on what main benefit or pension you're getting. If you're not getting a main benefit or pension, your entry thresholds will be the same as Jobseeker Support.
There are different entry thresholds for couples receiving half-married rates of different benefits.
Jobseeker Support
| Your situation | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
Single, no children |
$93 | $112 |
|
Couple, no children |
$158 | $190 |
|
Sole parent |
$168 | $202 |
|
Couple with children |
$205 | $247 |
Note that single clients aged 18-19 living at home won't have a mortgage rate as it is not relevant to them.
Sole Parent Support
| Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|
| $168 | $202 |
Supported Living Payment
| Your situation | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
Single, no children |
$106 | $127 |
|
Couple, no children |
$180 | $216 |
|
Sole parent |
$184 | $220 |
|
Couple, with children |
$227 | $273 |
Young Parent Payment
| Your situation | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
Sole parent, 16-17, living with or supported by parents who earn less than the Family Tax Credit threshold |
$113 | N/A |
|
Sole parent, 16-19 |
$168 | $202 |
|
Couple |
$205 | $247 |
Youth Payment
| Your situation | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
Single |
$93 | $112 |
| Couple | $158 | $190 |
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension - without dependent children
| Your situation | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
Single, living alone |
$139 | $167 |
|
Single, sharing accommodation |
$128 | $154 |
|
Couple, both getting pension |
$214 | $256 |
|
Couple, 1 qualifies for pension, 1 is included as a non-qualified partner before 9 November 2020 |
$203 | $244 |
|
Couple, 1 qualifies for pension, 1 is included as a non-qualified partner before 1 October 1991 |
$214 | $256 |
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension - with dependent children
| Your situation | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
Single, living alone |
$177 | $212 |
|
Single, sharing accommodation |
$166 | $199 |
|
Couple, both getting pension |
$252 | $302 |
|
Couple, 1 qualifies for pension, 1 is included as a non-qualified partner before 9 November 2020 |
$241 | $289 |
|
Couple, 1 qualifies for pension, 1 is included as a non-qualified partner before 1 October 1991 |
$252 | $302 |
Couples getting half-married rates of different benefits - without dependent children
| Type of benefit combination | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and Supported Living Payment |
$197 | $236 |
|
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and Jobseeker Support or non-beneficiary |
$186 | $223 |
|
Supported Living payment and Jobseeker Support or non-beneficiary |
$169 | $203 |
Couples getting half-married rates of different benefits - with dependent children
| Type of benefit combination | Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
|
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and Supported Living Payment |
$243 | $292 |
|
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and Jobseeker Support or non-beneficiary |
$229 | $274 |
|
Supported Living payment and Jobseeker Support or non-beneficiary |
$216 | $260 |
Grandparented Widows Benefit woman alone or DPB woman alone
This benefit was granted before 15 July 2013.
| Rent or board | Mortgage |
|---|---|
| $96 | $115 |
Accommodation Supplement maximum rates
These rates are the maximum amount of Accommodation Supplement you can get, depending on your situation. It also depends on what area of New Zealand you live in.
| Category | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Single, no children |
$165 | $105 | $80 | $70 |
|
Sole parent, 1 child |
$235 | $155 | $105 | $80 |
|
Sole parent, 2+ children |
$305 | $220 | $160 | $120 |
|
Couple without children |
$235 | $155 | $105 | $80 |
|
Couple with children |
$305 | $220 | $160 | $120 |
Childcare assistance
Childcare assistance includes Childcare Subsidy and OSCAR Subsidy.
The rate you get depends on how many children you have and how much your income is.
Childcare Subsidy
You have 1 child
| Weekly income, before tax | Hourly rate per child | Weekly rate per child (50 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,131 | $6.72 | $336 |
| $1,131 to $2,059.99 | $5.36 | $268 |
| $2,060 to $2,231.99 | $3.75 | $187.50 |
| $2,232 to $2,403.99 | $2.09 | $104.50 |
| $2,404 or more | nil | nil |
You have 2 children
| Weekly income, before tax | Hourly rate per child | Weekly rate per child (50 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,301 | $6.72 | $336 |
| $1,301 to $2,369.99 | $5.36 | $268 |
| $2,370 to $2,556.99 | $3.75 | $187.50 |
| $2,557 to $2,747.99 | $2.09 | $104.50 |
| $2,748 or more | nil | nil |
You have 3 children
| Weekly income, before tax | Hourly rate per child | Weekly rate per child (50 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,457 | $6.72 | $336 |
| $1,457 to $2,643.99 | $5.36 | $268 |
| $2,644 to $2,867.99 | $3.75 | $187.50 |
| $2,868 to $3,090.99 | $2.09 | $104.50 |
| $3,091 or more | nil | nil |
OSCAR Subsidy
The rate you get depends on how many children you have and how much your income is.
You have 1 child
| Weekly income, before tax | Hourly rate per child | Term weekly rate per child (20 hours) | Holidays weekly rate per child (50 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,131 | $6.72 | $134.40 | $336 |
| $1,131 to $2,059.99 | $5.36 | $107.20 | $268 |
| $2,060 to $2,231.99 | $3.75 | $75 | $187.50 |
| $2,232 to $2,403.99 | $2.09 | $41.80 | $104.50 |
| $2,404 or more | nil | nil | nil |
You have 2 children
| Weekly income, before tax | Hourly rate per child | Term weekly rate per child (20 hours) | Holidays weekly rate per child (50 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,301 | $6.72 | $134.40 | $336 |
| $1,301 to $2,369.99 | $5.36 | $107.20 | $268 |
| $2,370 to $2,556.99 | $3.75 | $75 | $187.50 |
| $2,557 to $2,747.99 | $2.09 | $41.80 | $104.50 |
| $2,748 or more | nil | nil | nil |
You have 3 children
| Weekly income, before tax | Hourly rate per child | Term weekly rate per child (20 hours) | Holidays weekly rate per child (50 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,457 | $6.72 | $134.40 | $336 |
| $1,457 to $2,643.99 | $5.36 | $107.20 | $268 |
| $2,644 to $2,867.99 | $3.75 | $75 | $187.50 |
| $2,868 to $3,090.99 | $2.09 | $41.80 | $104.50 |
| $3,091 or more | nil | nil | nil |
Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment
| Hourly rate per child | Maximum weekly rate |
|---|---|
| $6.72 | $336 |
Early Learning Payment
| Hourly rate | Maximum weekly rate (20 hours) |
|---|---|
| $10.02 | $200.40 |
Community Services Card income cut-out points
To be eligible for a Community Services card, you need to have income under the following amounts:
| Family size | Annual cut-out point for NZ Super clients, before tax | Annual cut-out point for other clients, before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Single, sharing accommodation | $37,372 | $34,974 |
| Single, living alone | $39,796 | $37,116 |
| Couple | $59,694 | $55,501 |
| 2-person family - 1 adult, 1 child | $67,791 | $67,791 |
| 3-person family | $83,444 | $83,444 |
| 4-person family | $96,266 | $96,266 |
| 5-person family | $108,860 | $108,860 |
| 6-person family | $122,724 | $122,724 |
| For each additional family member add $12,440 |
Disability Allowance
| Benefit type | Maximum weekly rate, non-taxable |
|---|---|
| Standard Disability Allowance - maximum | $82.85 |
| Special Disability Allowance | $51.67 |
| Child Disability Allowance | $62.43 |
Disability Allowance income limits
| Category | Weekly income limit, before tax |
|---|---|
| Single 16 to 17 years | $696.60 |
| Single 18+ years | $870.00 |
| Couple, with or without children | $1,295.11 |
| Sole parent 1 child | $971.51 |
| Sole parent 2+ children | $1,023.59 |
Family Tax Credits
| Category | Rate per child, non-taxable |
|---|---|
| First or only child | $151.91 |
| Second or subsequent child | $123.78 |
Foster Care Allowance
| Category | Weekly rate, non-taxable |
|---|---|
| Aged 0-4 years | $301.53 |
| Aged 5-9 years | $303.62 |
| Aged 10-13 years | $327.16 |
| Aged 14 years and over | $350.58 |
| Family home | $332.03 |
Funeral Grant
Home Help
This is the maximum rate before tax.
| Rate per hour, before tax | |
| Excluding holiday pay | $25.21 |
| Including holiday pay (8%) | $27.23 |
Hospital rate
The weekly hospital rates listed here are for payments other than NZ Super, Veteran's pension, Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit. To see the hospital rate for these payments, select the relevant payment headings on this page.
| Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate (before tax) |
|---|---|
| $58.34 | $65.18 |
Jobseeker Support
If you don't have children
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate, before tax | Special Benefit standard costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, 18 to 19 years, at home | $276.46 | $309.65 | N/A |
| Single, 18 to 19 years, away from home | $324.50 | $367.88 | N/A |
| Single, 20 to 24 years | $324.50 | $367.88 | N/A |
| Single, 25 years or over | $372.55 | $426.12 | $168.05 |
| Couple (total) | $633.94 | $717.50 | $315.30 |
| Couple (each) | $316.97 | $358.75 |
Note that single clients aged 18-24 don't have Special Benefit standards costs available to them.
If you have children
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate, before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Sole parent | $521.52 | $606.69 |
| Couple (total) | $669.40 | $760.48 |
| Couple (each) | $334.70 | $380.24 |
| Couple with 1 partner not on benefit (total) | $334.70 | $380.24 |
| Couple with 1 partner on NZ Super or Veteran's Pension (total) | $334.70 | $380.24 |
Note that Special Benefit standard costs for people with children are equal to 70% of the unabated main benefit and unabated family tax credit combined.
NZ Super and Veteran's Pension
There are standard rates, non-standard rates and non-taxable lump sum payments.
Standard rates
| Pension type | Fortnightly rate (after tax at 'M') |
Fortnightly rate (after tax at 'S') |
Fortnightly rate, before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | |||
| Single, living alone | $1,110.30 | $1,068.30 | $1,294.74 |
| Single, sharing | $1,024.90 | $982.90 | $1,191.14 |
| Couples | |||
| Only one of you qualifies | $854.08 | $812.08 | $984.28 |
| Both you and your partner qualify (combined) | $1,708.16 | $1,624.16 | $1,968.56 |
| Both you and your partner qualify (each) | $854.08 | $812.08 | $984.28 |
| Only one of you qualifies and you include your partner in your payments (combined) – grandparented since November 2020 | $1,624.12 | $1,540.12 | $1,866.32 |
| Only one of you qualifies and you include your partner in your payments (each) – grandparented since November 2020 | $812.06 | $770.06 | $933.16 |
Non-standard rates
| Pension type | Fortnightly rate (after tax at 'M') |
Fortnightly rate (after tax at 'S') |
Fortnightly rate, before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couple, with non-qualified spouse included before 1 October 1991 (total) | $1,708.16 | $1,624.16 | $1,968.56 |
| Couple, with non-qualified spouse included before 1 October 1991 (each) | $854.08 | $812.08 | $984.28 |
| Hospital rate (always taxed at 'M') | $116.68 | N/A | $130.32 |
Non-taxable lump sum payments
| Pension type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Veteran's lump sum payment on death | $7,816.36 |
| Veteran's spouse's lump sum payment on death | $5,960.20 |
Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit
| Child or young person's age | Weekly rate, non-taxable |
|---|---|
| Aged under 5 years | $301.53 |
| Aged 5 to 9 years | $303.62 |
| Aged 10 to 13 years | $327.16 |
| Aged 14 years or over | $350.58 |
Personal Allowances
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at 'M') | Weekly rate for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension, before tax | Weekly rate for other benefits, before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| People receiving Residential Care Subsidy | $58.34 | $65.16 | $65.18 |
| People with Psychiatric or Intellectual Disabilities | $85.02 | $94.89 | $94.99 |
| People with Physical or Sensory Disabilities | $138.14 | $154.31 | $154.35 |
Sole Parent Support
| Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate, before tax |
|---|---|
| $521.52 | $606.69 |
Note that Special Benefit standard costs are equal to 70% of the unabated main benefit and unabated family tax credit combined.
Supported Living Payment
If you don't have children
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at 'M') | Weekly rate, before tax | Special Benefit standard costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, 16-17 | $355.87 | $405.90 | N/A |
| Single, 18+ | $424.60 | $489.21 | $227.98 |
| Couple (total) | $721.44 | $823.56 | $415.92 |
| Couple (each) | $360.72 | $411.78 |
Note that single clients aged 16-17 don't have Special Benefit standard costs available to them.
If you have children
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at 'M') | Weekly rate, before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Sole parent | $581.96 | $679.95 |
| Couple (total) | $756.94 | $866.60 |
| Couple (each) | $378.47 | $433.30 |
| Couple with 1 partner not on benefit (total) | $392.94 | $450.84 |
| Couple with 1 partner on NZ Super or Veteran's Pension (total) | $392.94 | $450.84 |
Special Benefit standard costs are equal to 70% of the unabated main benefit and unabated family tax credit combined.
Training Incentive Allowance
| Duration | Rate, non-taxable |
|---|---|
| Weekly - maximum | $143.08 |
| Yearly - maximum | $5,723.20 |
Young Parent Payment
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate, before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Solo parent, 16 to 17 years, living with or supported by parents who earn less than the Family Tax Credit threshold | $300.86 | $339.22 |
| Solo parent, 16 to 19 years | $521.52 | $606.69 |
| Couple with 1 or more children (total) | $669.40 | $760.48 |
| Couple with 1 or more children (each) | $334.70 | $380.24 |
| Couple with 1 partner not on benefit and 1 or more children (total) | $334.70 | $380.24 |
Note that Special Benefit standard costs are not available to people getting Young Parent Payment.
Youth Payment
| Category | Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate, before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Single, 16 to 17 years | $324.50 | $367.88 |
| Couple (total) | $633.94 | $717.50 |
| Couple (each) | $316.97 | $358.75 |
Note that Special Benefit standard costs are not available to people getting Youth Payment.
Grandparented Widows Benefit woman alone or DPB woman alone
These benefits were granted before 15 July 2013.
| Weekly rate (after tax at "M") | Weekly rate, before tax | Special Benefit standard costs |
|---|---|---|
| $384.52 | $440.63 | $177.63 |