Hardship assistance granted in New Zealand

Supplementary Assistance is non-taxable, income-tested, and asset-tested assistance to meet specific costs, including: accommodation, childcare, some training, and health-related or medical-related-costs. The Benefit Fact Sheets report receipt of selected supplementary assistance:
- Temporary Additional Support (TAS): available to people who are having difficulty paying for their ongoing essential living costs. This replaced the Special Benefit (SPB), which is still received by a small number of clients
- Disability Allowance (DA): a payment to help cover ongoing additional costs because of a disability for both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries
- Accommodation Supplement (AS): assistance for private housing expenses of both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries
- Unsupported Child’s Benefit (UCB)/Orphan’s Benefit (OB): a payment granted to the primary caregivers of orphaned or unsupported children.

Hardship Assistance is non-taxable, income-tested, and asset-tested assistance available to non-beneficiaries and/or beneficiaries. Figures contained in the Benefit Fact Sheets are based on grants made, including:
- Special Needs Grant (SNG): one-off payments made to those who have immediate or emergency needs and who have no other means of paying the cost to meet those needs. Most Special Needs Grants are non-recoverable
- Recoverable Assistance Payment (RAP): non-taxable, interest-free financial assistance to people on a low income, who aren’t receiving a benefit or pension. The aim is to enable them to meet essential immediate needs for specific goods and services
- Benefit Advances (ADV): up to six weeks' worth of benefit payments are available in advance to recipients of a main benefit. The advance enables benefit recipients to meet one-off needs that are immediate and essential, but cannot be met from their regular income.

Civil Defence Payments: payments that are available to meet the immediate needs of people who are affected by a Civil Defence emergency or adverse event. This assistance is not income or asset tested.

People may be receiving more than one type of Supplementary Assistance within the same quarter.

At URL provided, under Excel Tables, select 'National level data tables - June 2020'.

The Benefit Fact Sheets provide a high-level view of trends in social welfare receipt, including Jobseeker Support, Supported Living Payment, Sole Parent Support and other main benefits.