Covid relief payment Q&A
Q. What is the new payment?
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A. It's a temporary payment of $490 a week for someone who loses a fulltime job of 30 hours a week or more due to Covid-19, or $250 for someone who was in a part-time job working 15 to 29 hours a week.
It will be available for 12 weeks to anyone who loses a job between March 1 and October 30, with the first payments available from June 8.
Q. Who can get it?
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A. NZ citizens or permanent residents who don't get more than $30,000 in redundancy pay, didn't have income protection insurance and don't have a partner earning at least $2000 a week.
Q. What are the obligations?
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A. Recipients must:
• Be available for, and actively seeking, suitable work;
• Take appropriate steps towards gaining new employment;
• Engage with suitable work programmes and courses and identify and take opportunities for employment, redeployment and training.
Q. What will it cost?
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A. $1.2 billion gross, or $570 million net after deducting what people would have received on normal benefits.
Q. How do you apply?
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A. Apply online on the Work and Income website from June 8.
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Poll: Should complete designs be shared with the public, or should the community help shape the designs from the start?
The Post recently shared an opinion piece on the Harbour Crossing and why a more democratic approach might be needed 🚗🚲👟
While most decisions sit within the political arena, many organisations—like NZTA—manage long-term projects that go beyond party lines. Politics can sometimes disrupt progress, and the next Harbour Crossing is a big decision that will affect all Aucklanders.
We’d love your thoughts: Should near-complete, shovel-ready designs be shared with the public, or should the community have a hand in shaping the designs from the start?
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80.5% Community feedback and transparency is needed.
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19.5% No. This would be impossible in practice.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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54.3% Human-centred experience and communication
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13.8% Critical thinking
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29.3% Resilience and adaptability
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2.6% Other - I will share below!
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