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Work homepage
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Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
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Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
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Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
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Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
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Job Connect on Facebook
Find out how we can help you get ready to work, find work, and support available while you're working.
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CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
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Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
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Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
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Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
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Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
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Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
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Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
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Benefits and payments homepage
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Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
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Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
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Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
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Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
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Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
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Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
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Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
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Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
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Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
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Moving to New Zealand
Payments you can get from us, settling into NZ, overseas pensions and more.
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16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
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Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
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On a benefit homepage
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Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
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Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
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Income
Declare income and income deduction tables
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Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
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Going overseas
Going on holiday or going to live overseas
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Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
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Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
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Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
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Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
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Housing homepage
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Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
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Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
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Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
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Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
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Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Benefit increases and changes in Budget 2021
20 May 2021.
Main benefits will increase, Training Incentive Allowance will be available for higher-level courses and other changes have been announced as part of the 2021 Budget.
The other changes include for Childcare Assistance, student support increases, Orphan's Benefit and Unsupported Child's Benefit and Work capacity medical certificates.
On 1 July 2021
- All main benefits will increase by $20 per adult per week. This will happen automatically - you don’t need to do anything.
On 1 April 2022
- All main benefits will further increase to levels recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group in 2019.
- Families with children get an additional top-up of $15 per adult a week.
- Student Allowance and Student Loan for living costs increase by $25 per adult a week.
The proposed benefit increases are:
Main benefit* (after tax) |
Current rates |
Rates as at 1 July 2021 |
Estimated 1 April 2022 rates** |
Sole Parent Support |
$386.78 |
$406.78 |
$434 |
Jobseeker Support – 18 to 19 years, living at home |
$180.91 |
$200.91 |
$235 |
Jobseeker Support – 18 to 19 years, living away from home |
$219.70 |
$239.70 |
$275 |
Jobseeker Support - single 20-24 years |
$219.70 |
$239.70 |
$275 |
Jobseeker Support - single 25 years and over |
$258.50 |
$278.50 |
$315 |
Jobseeker Support – sole parent |
$386.78 |
$406.78 |
$434 |
Jobseeker Support - couple (without children) each |
$206.81 |
$226.81 |
$268 |
Jobseeker Support - couple (with children) each |
$220.65 |
$240.65 |
$283 |
Supported Living Payment - single 18 years and over |
$316.65 |
$336.65 |
$359 |
Supported Living Payment - sole parent |
$435.58 |
$455.58 |
$485 |
Supported Living Payment - couple (without children) each |
$255.27 |
$275.27 |
$305 |
Supported Living Payment - couple (with children) each |
$269.12 |
$289.12 |
$320 |
Youth Payment - 16-17 years, no dependent children |
$219.70 |
$239.70 |
$275 |
Youth Payment - 16-17 years, with partner and no dependent children |
$206.81 |
$226.81 |
$268 |
Young Parent Payment - 16-18 years, dependent children, 16-17 years not living at home |
$386.78 |
$406.78 |
$434 |
Young Parent Payment - 16-17 years, single, living at home or supported living away |
$208.60 |
$228.60 |
$251 |
Young Parent Payment - 16-18 years, 1 or more dependent children, with partner |
$220.65 |
$240.65 |
$283 |
*NZ Super and Veteran’s Pension are not main benefits.
**These rates include estimated increases from the Annual General Adjustment scheduled for 1 April 2022.
Temporary Additional Support or Accommodation Supplement
When benefit rates increase on 1 July, we’ll review your supplementary payments.
In some cases, your Temporary Additional Support or Accommodation Supplement will go down, however, most people will see an overall increase in the amount they get each week.
The exact amount you get will depend on your situation and costs. You'll be able to check your payments in MyMSD closer to 1 July.
If you’re unintentionally worse-off because of the 1 July benefit increase, don’t worry, we’ll grant you a top-up payment for up to 12 months or until your circumstances change.
If you qualify for this top-up, we’ll write to you about this.
From 1 July 2021 to 1 January 2025, the Training Incentive Allowance will be available for degree-level study and below for sole parents on a benefit as well as carers and disabled people on Supported Living Payment.
The Training Incentive Allowance helps with upfront and ongoing costs of study, such as fees, books, transport and childcare costs.
People can apply for Training Incentive Allowance that now covers degree-level study from 1 July 2021.
Before 1 July 2021, Training Incentive Allowance is available for courses at levels 1 to 3 of the NZ Qualifications Framework.
Student Allowance (after tax) per adult |
Current Rates |
Estimated 1 April 2022 rates* |
|
Under 24, no children, living in parental home |
$203.11 |
$232 |
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Under 24, no children, not living in a parental home |
$240.65 |
$270 |
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Independent Circumstances Allowance |
$240.65 |
$270 |
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24 or older, no children, living in parental home |
$233.13 |
$262 |
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24 or older, no children, not living in parental home |
$278.19 |
$308 |
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Single student with children |
$402.32 |
$434 |
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Student Loan Living Costs |
Up to $242.53 |
$272 |
|
*These rates include estimated increases from the Annual General Adjustment scheduled for 1 April 2022.
From 1 April 2022, Orphan’s Benefit and Unsupported Child Benefit will increase by $34.84 per week for children aged 0-4 years and by $10 for children aged 5 years and over. This change will happen automatically.
The amount of Childcare Assistance you can get is based on your income.
From 1 July 2021, some supplementary payments will no longer count as income when we’re assessing how much Childcare Assistance you can get. This means if your supplementary assistance increases it won’t reduce your Childcare Assistance. This includes:
- Accommodation Supplement
- Temporary Additional Support
- Special Benefit
- Disability Allowance
- Special Disability Allowance
- Youth Payment and Young Parent Payment incentive payments.
From 1 April 2022, Childcare Assistance income thresholds will be adjusted annually in line with average wage growth. Income thresholds determine the amount of Childcare Assistance a family can get based on how much they earn. The change means low and middle-income families will continue to qualify for Childcare Assistance as incomes increase.
From 31 January 2022, there’ll be a new medical certificate process if you’re a Jobseeker client with a health condition, injury or a disability that affects your ability to work. It’ll be more flexible and based on your health practitioner’s advice.
You’ll still need to give us medical certificates, but your health practitioner can recommend how often you need to do that. It’ll be based on how long your ability to work is likely to be affected, instead of being a mandatory period.
Right now, people getting Jobseeker Support – Health and Disability don’t need to renew their medical certificates. This will continue to be deferred until the new process starts.