COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme was to help employers, and self-employed people, pay employees who had to self-isolate due to COVID-19. It was available between 6 April 2020 (then called 'COVID-19 Essential Workers Leave Support Scheme') and 15 August 2023.
The information on this page is a summary of the key details about this payment. Detailed information can be found in the declarations at the bottom of this page.
Who could get it
This payment was available to help businesses pay employees who had to self-isolate and could not work due to COVID-19. Self-employed people are considered to be their own employees.
Employers and self-employed people could apply on behalf of their employees.
Employers must have been advised by their employee that they were required to self-isolate and were unable to work from home because they either:
- had COVID-19
- were the parent or caregiver of a dependant who had COVID-19
- were in the category of people most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or had a household member who was, and were advised to self-isolate by a medical practitioner (e.g. a GP)
- were a household contact of a person who had COVID-19 before 13 September 2022.
Also, during the period applied for:
- the business must have been registered with the New Zealand Companies Office (except for self-employed people) and operating in New Zealand.
- self-employed people must have been physically located and legally working in New Zealand, along with other requirements, e.g. having an IRD number.
State Sector organisations were generally not eligible for COVID-19 payments, however some may have been granted an exception. This could have been because they had an exception for a previous COVID-19 payment, or the organisation was a State-Owned Enterprise or Mixed Ownership Model company.
The full eligibility criteria is listed in the declarations.
Payment amount
The Leave Support Scheme was paid at a flat rate of:
- $600 for full-time workers who were working 20 hours or more a week
- $359 for part-time workers who were working less than 20 hours a week.
Declarations
There are different declarations depending on when you applied for the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme. Your obligations and repayment responsibilities are in the declaration you agreed to when you applied.
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 12.01am 15 Aug 2023 to 11.59pm 10 Oct 2023)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 11.59pm 12 Sept 2022 to 12.01am 15 Aug 2023)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 12am 14 March 2022 to 11.59pm 12 Sept 2022)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 9am on 10 Dec 2021 to 12am 14 Mar 2022)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 4pm 12 Mar 2021 to 9am on 10 Dec 2021)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 9am 9 Feb 2021 to 4pm 12 Mar 2021)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 12pm 28 Sept 2020 to 9am 9 Feb 2021)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 1pm 21 Aug to 12pm 28 Sept 2020)
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme (from 12pm 1 May 2020 to 1pm 21 August 2020)
Essential Workers Leave Support (from 6 April 2020 to 12pm 1 May 2020)