New Zealand · rates from 1 April 2026
Estimate your weekly Jobseeker Support after other income. This is the payment sometimes searched for as the job seekers benefit or unemployment benefit; WINZ, now Work and Income, makes the official eligibility and payment decision.
Estimated Jobseeker Support
$372.55/week
Estimated after tax at the M rate for single, 25 or over.
This uses a $160 weekly income-free area, then reduces the combined payment by 70 cents per extra dollar.
Payment estimate only: Work and Income checks your age, residence, ability to work, study, relationship, income and other circumstances. Extra help, tax-code differences, stand-downs and payment reductions are not included.
It selects the published standard rate for your age and household situation, then estimates how weekly gross income reduces the after-tax M-code payment. Couples receive a combined result and an indicative amount for each partner.
The result is not a WINZ approval or eligibility checker. It does not determine residence, full-time study, work capacity, medical evidence, stand-down periods, sanctions, asset tests for extra help or whether a partner qualifies separately.
The calculator starts with the published maximum weekly rate after tax at the M tax code. It applies the standard weekly income deduction for the selected household category, then stops the estimate at zero when the entered income reaches the published cut-out point.
Age and living arrangement select the rate for a single person. Sole parents and couples use their published household category.
Most standard cases keep the first $160 a week before the combined payment reduces by 70 cents per extra dollar.
The result shows weekly and fortnightly amounts, the estimated deduction and the income cut-out for that category.
These are the standard Work and Income weekly rates. Net figures are after tax at the M rate. Couple figures are combined totals before any income deduction.
| Situation | After tax (M) | Before tax | Income cut-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, 18–19, living with parents or caregivers | $276.46 | $309.65 | $555 |
| Single, 18–19, living away from parents or caregivers | $324.50 | $367.88 | $624 |
| Single, 20–24 | $324.50 | $367.88 | $624 |
| Single, 25 or over | $372.55 | $426.12 | $693 |
| Sole parent | $521.52 | $606.69 | $957 |
| Couple without dependent children (combined) | $633.94 | $717.50 | $1,066 |
| Couple with dependent children (combined) | $669.40 | $760.48 | $1,117 |
The first $160 of gross weekly income is ignored. Above that amount, a single payment or the combined couple payment reduces by 70 cents for each dollar. For couples entitled in their own right, each half reduces by 35 cents per dollar of combined income above the threshold.
Income from $160 to $250 reduces the weekly benefit by 30 cents per dollar. Income above $250 reduces it by 70 cents per dollar. For example, $300.00 of income produces a $62.00 deduction and an estimated $459.52 payment.
Work and Income says applicants generally need to be at least 18 without dependent children or at least 20 with dependent children, meet residence requirements, have income below the applicable limit and either be seeking work or have a health condition, injury or disability affecting work.
From 2 November 2026, an additional Parental Assistance Test applies. This tool can still show the published rate, but it cannot determine whether parental support can reasonably be expected or assess parents’ income.
The calculation does not include Accommodation Supplement, Winter Energy Payment, Temporary Additional Support, Disability Allowance, Working for Families, childcare help or other assistance. It also excludes grandparented rates, hospital rates, a non-qualified partner, a partner on NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension, annual income charging and different tax codes.
KiwiTools uses Work and Income’s published rates, deduction rules and cut-out points effective from 1 April 2026. Check MyMSD or speak with Work and Income for the income they will assess and your confirmed entitlement.
From 1 April 2026, the standard after-tax M-code rate ranges from $276.46 a week for a single 18- or 19-year-old living at home to $521.52 for a sole parent. Couples can receive up to $633.94 combined without children or $669.40 combined with children. Income can reduce these amounts.
Jobseeker Support is the current official name. People still use “unemployment benefit” and “job seekers benefit” when searching for it, but Jobseeker Support also covers some people who cannot work right now because of a health condition, injury or disability.
For standard single and couple cases, the first $160 of combined gross weekly income does not reduce the payment, then the combined benefit generally reduces by 70 cents for each extra dollar. Sole parents use a 30-cent rate from $160 to $250, then 70 cents above $250.
No. WINZ is a commonly used name for Work and Income, which decides eligibility and the approved payment. This calculator estimates the standard amount only and does not assess every residence, work, study, health, stand-down or obligation rule.
Possibly. Work and Income considers both partners’ income and circumstances. This calculator models the published combined couple rate where both partners qualify in their own right; different rules can apply when only one partner qualifies or receives another benefit or pension.
Work and Income says full-time students generally cannot get Jobseeker Support, although StudyLink or Jobseeker Support Student Hardship may be relevant in some situations. Confirm the correct support directly with the responsible agency.
An additional Parental Assistance Test applies from 2 November 2026. A young person may need to show that they cannot reasonably rely on their parents and/or that their parents’ combined income is within the published limit. This calculator does not decide that test.
No. It estimates Jobseeker Support only. Accommodation Supplement, Winter Energy Payment, Temporary Additional Support, Disability Allowance, Working for Families and other assistance are separate and can have their own rules and income tests.
Read the application, eligibility, rate and health-condition guides for the official context behind this estimate.
Apply for Jobseeker Support in NZ using MyMSD. See who can apply, what documents to have ready, medical certificate steps and when you may get paid in 2026/27.
Read guideSee NZ unemployment benefit rates from 1 April 2026: weekly Jobseeker Support amounts, income limits, how deductions work and worked examples for households.
Read guideCheck Jobseeker Support NZ eligibility: age, residence, work, study, health and partner income rules, plus the weekly payment you could receive in 2026/27.
Read guideSee WINZ sickness benefit rates for 2026/27. Learn how Jobseeker Support covers illness, what medical certificate you need and how to apply in MyMSD online.
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