nz_benefit_entitlement_calculator
Estimate a New Zealand main benefit, its abatement and the Accommodation Supplement that goes with it.
Use for: 'how much is jobseeker', 'sole parent support rate', 'supported
living payment amount', 'how much can I earn before my benefit is cut',
'accommodation supplement how much', 'winter energy payment'.
FOUR THINGS DECIDE THE ANSWER AND ONLY THE FIRST IS WIDELY KNOWN.
The base rate depends on the benefit and the living situation.
ABATEMENT IS NOT A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR CUT. The first $160 a week of other
income is free. Above that a sole parent loses 30c in the dollar up to $250
and 70c after; everyone else loses 70c from the start. People routinely
believe every dollar earned is a dollar lost and turn down work on that
basis, so if someone is asking whether it is worth working, say the free
zone exists and how big it is.
THE ACCOMMODATION SUPPLEMENT IS 70% OF HOUSING COSTS ABOVE AN ENTRY
THRESHOLD, not 70% of the rent. The threshold is 25% of the base rate for
renters and boarders and 30% for owners, and only 62% of a board payment
counts as a housing cost at all. It is then capped by area, 1 being the
highest cost. Someone whose rent is below the threshold gets nothing.
The Winter Energy Payment runs 1 May to 1 October and is only paid while
some main benefit is still payable after abatement.
Rates are read from the published register, and rate_source says which
figure was used, when it was verified and when it next changes. Benefit
rates move every 1 April, so do not reuse an answer across that date.
THIS IS AN ESTIMATE OF PUBLISHED RATES, NOT AN ASSESSMENT. Entitlement also
depends on residency, relationship status, assets and obligations no
calculator sees. Say so rather than presenting it as a decision.
Args:
benefit_type: Which main benefit is being received.
situation: Living situation, which selects the weekly rate.
weekly_income: Other gross weekly income before tax.
accommodation_cost: Weekly rent, board or ownership cost.
housing_type: rent, board or mortgage. Board counts at 62%.
area: Accommodation Supplement area, 1 to 4. Area 1 is highest cost.
children: Number of dependent children.
winter: Whether the Winter Energy Payment period applies.
Returns:
The weekly entitlement step by step: base rate, abatement, supplement
with its cap and entry threshold, winter payment and the total.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| area | No | ||
| winter | No | ||
| children | No | ||
| situation | No | single_25 | |
| benefit_type | No | jobseeker | |
| housing_type | No | rent | |
| weekly_income | No | ||
| accommodation_cost | No |