Social Security Amendment Regulations 2021

2021/17

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

Social Security Amendment Regulations 2021

Patsy Reddy, Governor-General

Order in Council

At Wellington this 22nd day of February 2021

Present:
The Right Hon Jacinda Ardern presiding in Council

These regulations are made under sections 424, 427, and 428 of the Social Security Act 2018 on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council.

Regulations

1 Title

These regulations are the Social Security Amendment Regulations 2021.

2 Commencement

These regulations come into force on 1 April 2021.

3 Principal regulations

These regulations amend the Social Security Regulations 2018 (the principal regulations).

4 Regulation 55 amended (Funeral grants: amounts)

In regulation 55, replace “$2,128.10” with “$2,152.66”.

5 Regulation 69 amended (Chargeable income)

After regulation 69(5)(h), insert:

(i)

the Abatement Threshold Increase (Transitional Assistance) Programme 2021.

6 Regulation 71 amended (Allowable costs)

(1)

In regulation 71(3)(a), replace “$26.93” with “$27.24”.

(2)

In regulation 71(3)(b), replace the table with:

Payments for essential household items
Column 1Column 2Column 3
Essential household itemMaximum number of itemsMaximum weekly amount ($)
Beds (including mattresses)32.08
Combined refrigerator-freezer125.38
ororor
Separate refrigerator and separate freezer1 of each if separate items25.38 in total if separate items
Dining suite132.08
Lounge suite132.08
Portable heaters17.36
Washing machine125.38
Stove125.38
Television set124.04

(3)

In regulation 71(3)(d), (9), and (10), replace “$25.09” with “$25.38”.

(4)

In regulation 71(3)(h) and (i), replace “$67.82” with “$68.60”.

7 Schedule 2 amended

(1)

In Schedule 2, items 1(a), 2(a), and 3(a), replace “$5.31” with “$5.37”.

(2)

In Schedule 2, items 1(b), 2(b), and 3(b), replace “$4.23” with “$4.28”.

(3)

In Schedule 2, items 1(c), 2(c), and 3(c), replace “$2.96” with “$2.99”.

(4)

In Schedule 2, items 1(d), 2(d), and 3(d), replace “$1.65” with “$1.67”.

8 Schedule 8 amended

In Schedule 8, after clause 18(2)(a)(x), insert:

(xi)

payments received on or after 1 April 2021 but before the close of 31 March 2022, $3.67 per hour; and

Michael Webster,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the regulations, but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These regulations, which come into force on 1 April 2021, are made under the Social Security Act 2018 (the Act). They amend the Social Security Regulations 2018 by increasing—

  • the amount payable under the Act as a funeral grant; and

  • the limits on certain allowable costs for which temporary additional support may be granted under the Act; and

  • the rates of childcare and OSCAR (out-of-school care and recreation) subsidies available under the Act to certain caregivers with dependent children; and

  • payments to an educator for providing a home-based education and care service for a child.

The increases reflect a 1.15% increase in the New Zealand Consumers Price Index from the December 2019 quarter to the December 2020 quarter (calculated for all quarters using the New Zealand Consumers Price Index (All Groups), excluding cigarettes and other tobacco products).

These regulations also amend regulation 69, which relates to chargeable income. The amendment inserts new regulation 69(5)(i) to ensure that any payment made to a person under the Abatement Threshold Increase (Transitional Assistance) Programme 2021 is not treated as chargeable income for the purposes of determining their entitlement to temporary additional support under the Act.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2012.

Date of notification in Gazette: 25 February 2021.

These regulations are administered by the Ministry of Social Development.