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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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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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Other languages
Read some of our housing information in other languages.
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loginCOVID-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.