Repaying the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme

When you need to repay the Leave Support

You need to repay the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme if:

• you no longer meet the criteria for the Leave Support Scheme as at the time of your application
• you're not meeting your obligation to use the Leave Support Scheme to retain and pay your employees, or
• you provided false or misleading information in your application.

You also need to repay it if:

• your employee no longer meets the criteria and you don't need the money designated for them to pay other affected employees
• your employee voluntarily resigns and you can't use the money designated for them to pay other affected employees
• your employee has been made redundant (you need to repay the remaining amount after you've paid their wage to them)
• your business has closed
• you've applied for the wrong payment rate (eg you applied for the full-time rate when you only need the part-time rate)
• you dismissed the employee during the period you were receiving the Leave Support Scheme and you don’t need the money designated for them to pay other affected employees
• your employee’s fixed-term contract finishes during the period you were receiving the Leave Support Scheme for them (you need to repay the remaining amount after you've paid their wage to them)
• you’re self-employed and the income you regularly get from your business is less than the amount you got from the Leave Support Scheme, you need to repay the surplus to us
• you’re a state sector organisation who didn’t have an exception approved
• your business gets a payment it is not entitled to due to a Ministry of Social Development error.

How to repay the Leave Support

You can fill out the online form. You'll need your:

• business name
• IRD number (business IRD number, or personal if self-employed)
• New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), if you have one
• phone number
• email address
• postal address.

You'll also need to tell us:

• the amount you need to repay
• why you want to repay it.

Once we process the form, we'll be in touch to confirm how to make the repayment.

If you have any questions, you can call us on 0800 40 80 40