Changes announced in Budget 2023

There will be investment and changes for:

• childcare assistance
• help with work
• help with study, and
• employment services for people facing redundancy or who have recently lost their job.

In an earlier Budget 2023 announcement, the Government announced support for businesses to redeploy and retrain workers as part of the cyclone recovery package. 

Childcare assistance

This includes making childcare support easier to access, including:

• improving the application process for Childcare Assistance
• increasing the rate of Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment from 1 April 2024, and
• expanding Flexible Childcare Assistance for parents working non-standard hours from 1 April 2024.

Help with study

This includes:

• permanently reinstating Training Incentive Allowance for courses at levels 4-7 of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, and
• supporting disabled learners through the Employment Service in Schools pilot.

Help with work

This includes:

• helping people to find or start a job, with funding over 3 years through the:
  • Transition to Work, and
  • $5k to Work programme
• continued employment services through:
  • Direct Career Service
  • Connected, a cross-Government service for training, education and employment
  • Education to Employment, connecting ākonga with employers, working with the Ministry of Education, and 
  • Student Job Search Permanent Placement Initiative
• the Supporting Offenders into Employment service continues for an additional 4 years
• a trial of stay-at-work and return-to-work supports for people living with musculoskeletal conditions who can't get ACC
• continuing to support the Oranga Mahi cross-agency trials for an additional 2 years
• continuing to deliver the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Community Resilience Programme for an additional 2 years, and
• continuing to deliver Auckland Council's Ngā Puna Pūkenga partnership for an additional 2 years.

People facing redundancy or recently lost their job

This includes continuing employment services for people facing redundancy or who have recently lost their jobs.

There will be funding for a further 2 years through:

• Early Response Redeployment Support, and
• Rapid Return to Work funding.

More information

For more information about these investments and changes, go to the Ministry of Social Development website