Changes to benefit rates from 1 April 2025
Main benefits will increase by over 3 percent, instead of 1.66 percent, on 1 April with the Government’s decision to annually adjust benefit rates to increases in the average wage.
If you're paid weekly
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In the week of 31 March your payment will be at the old rate. This is because we pay you for the week that's just been.
In the week of 7 April you'll get part of your payment at the old rate, and part at the new.
In the week of 14 April your whole payment will be at the new, increased rate.
If you're paid fortnightly
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1 April is partway through your pay period, so on 8 April you'll get a partial increase.
You'll get the full increase on 19 April – this is paid early (instead of 22 April) due to Easter.
More people can get support
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Income and asset limits and cut-out points for some financial supports will also go up. This means more people could get things like:
Accommodation Supplement
Disability Allowance
Childcare Assistance
Community Services Card, and
help with urgent and unexpected costs.
About the increase
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The Annual General Adjustment happens every year on 1 April. On this day benefits and most other financial supports from us are adjusted to account for the cost of living (inflation). Some income thresholds are adjusted by the average wage growth.
The new rates are based on either the:
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Consumers Price Index (2.22% rise), or
net average wage (3.51% rise).
Main benefits are adjusted to the Consumers Price Index.
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For April 2025 NZ Super and Veteran's Pension rates receive an extra boost, making their total increase around 3 percent because of the relationship to the net average wage level.
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Impact on your other payments
When your main benefit increases, you may find this changes other payments you get from us, like Accommodation Supplement or Temporary Additional Support.
If you have housing contributions for emergency, transitional, or social housing, your contributions may change as well.
The total amount you get after the 1 April changes won't be less than what you're getting now.
Changes to other payments if your main benefit goes up
How to check your payments
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From Tuesday 1 April you can check your new payments by either:
logging in to MyMSD, or
calling our Service Express self-service line on 0800 33 30 30
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Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.5% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.5% I want to be able to choose.
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47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???
“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.
On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.
[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.
Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.
Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”
Full article: www.theguardian.com...
If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.
New BEGINNERS LINEDANCING CLASS
Epsom Methodist church
12 pah Rd GREENWOODS cnr. Epsom
Monday 9th February 7pm - 9pm
Tuesday 10th February 10am -11am
Just turn up on the day
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