Accommodation Supplement NZ: Who Qualifies & How Much

Accommodation Supplement can help with rent, board or eligible costs of owning the home where you live. The weekly cost must be more than the entry threshold for your family and payment situation. Paying a high rent does not by itself guarantee the maximum rate.

Board is handled differently because it usually includes meals or services. Work and Income treats 62% of the board payment as accommodation cost, then applies the entry threshold and 70% subsidy to that qualifying portion.

The cash-asset ceiling is $8,100 for a single applicant and $16,200 for a couple or sole parent. Bank money and accessible investments generally count, while your main home, an everyday private vehicle and money still locked in KiwiSaver are normally excluded. Work and Income decides the value that belongs in the test.

If you are not receiving a main benefit, income above the applicable household threshold reduces the payment by 25 cents for each whole excess dollar. Cash assets over a lower exemption—$2,700 for a single person or $5,400 for others—can also add deemed weekly income before the reduction is calculated.

A single person who is not on a main benefit pays $550.00 rent in Area 1, earns $650.00 before tax and has $1,000.00 in cash assets. Their rent is $457.00 above the $93 entry threshold, so 70% would be $319.90 before the area limit.

The Area 1 single maximum is $165. Their income is below the $693 non-beneficiary threshold and the assets are below both relevant levels, so this standard example reaches an estimated $165 a week.

A person paying income-related rent for a Kāinga Ora home or an approved community-housing property cannot receive Accommodation Supplement for that rent. Students usually deal with StudyLink. NZ Super, Veteran’s Pension, mixed-benefit couples, residential-care situations and some shared ownership or tenancy arrangements also need their own calculation.

Payments from a boarder, renter or another occupant can be accommodation income and reduce the cost used in the formula. A part of the property that you do not live in, or a cost someone else pays for you, can also change the assessment. Do not leave those facts out because they can change both eligibility and amount.

Use the Accommodation Supplement calculator with your weekly cost, household, address area, main-payment situation, income and cash assets. It shows the calculation line by line, including the threshold and regional maximum, so you can spot an incorrect assumption before gathering documents.

Treat the result as a planning figure. If it shows zero because of a special situation, or you are close to an income or asset limit, contact Work and Income rather than assuming you cannot qualify. An exemption or a different policy category may need a person to assess it.