New Zealand Temporary Additional Support: what it covers

Temporary Additional Support helps with essential living costs that cannot be met from income, with a 13-week maximum payment period.

Maximum payment period

13 weeksWork and Income, Temporary Additional Support

Tax treatment

Non-taxableWork and Income, Temporary Additional Support

Qualifying condition

Essential costs not covered by other meansWork and Income, Temporary Additional Support

Asset limit, single

$1,411.22Ministry of Social Development, Temporary Additional Support asset limits at 1 April 2026

Asset limit, couple or sole parent

$2,351.46Ministry of Social Development, Temporary Additional Support asset limits at 1 April 2026

Benefit not required

Can be received without receiving a main benefitWork and Income, Temporary Additional Support

What Temporary Additional Support is for

Temporary Additional Support is a weekly non-taxable payment for people whose essential living costs cannot be met from their income and other resources. It is administered by Work and Income and can be paid to people who are not receiving a main benefit, as long as they meet the eligibility conditions. The payment is intended to cover regular and ongoing essential expenses that are necessary for daily living. The payment can be made for up to 13 weeks. How much is paid depends on the applicant's situation and the essential costs involved. Work and Income, Temporary Additional Support (opens in a new tab).

Essential costs that can be included

Essential costs covered include accommodation costs such as rent, board or home ownership costs, child support paid through Inland Revenue that is formula assessed, employment-related costs such as public transport to work, childcare if the caregiver is working, and vehicle repayments or running costs, and essential household items such as a bed, fridge, washing machine or TV. Health and disability costs including prescription fees, a dryer, vehicle repayments, or childcare if the caregiver is disabled or seriously ill can also be included. Not all essential costs are listed; Work and Income can advise whether a specific cost qualifies. The costs must be ongoing and regular, and essential to daily living needs. Work and Income, Temporary Additional Support (opens in a new tab).

Income and asset assessment

Eligibility depends on what the applicant and their partner earn, any money or assets they have, whether Work and Income can help in other ways, the types of essential costs being paid, and what the applicant is doing to reduce costs or increase income. Work and Income, Temporary Additional Support (opens in a new tab).

At 1 April 2026 the asset limits are $1,411.22 for a single person and $2,351.46 for a married, civil union or de facto couple (with or without children) or a sole parent. Ministry of Social Development, Temporary Additional Support asset limits at 1 April 2026 (opens in a new tab).

How to apply

Applications can be made online through MyMSD or using a paper form. Work and Income may request proof of the essential costs being paid. A new application is required if the payment is still needed after the initial 13-week period. Work and Income, Temporary Additional Support (opens in a new tab).

Scope of this explanation

This is general information about published eligibility conditions and the 13-week period. It does not calculate a specific household's payment amount, determine which essential costs qualify, assess income or asset thresholds, or decide a renewal application outcome. No Temporary Additional Support calculator or worked household example is provided here.

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