Covid-19 Business Support
With the re-emergence of Covid-19 in the community and Auckland's return to Alert level 3, many businesses are under financial pressure. If you're in need of assistance, one or more of the below options may available to provide support to you and your employees.
Wage subsidy:
Wage subsidies will be available to support workers who are financially impacted by COVID-19. The subsidy will be paid at a flat rate of:
- $585.80 for people working 20 hours or more per week (full-time rate)
- $350.00 for people working less than 20 hours per week (part-time rate).
The subsidy is paid as a lump sum and covers 12 weeks per employee from the date you submit your application.
COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment
The COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment helps businesses directly affected when there’s an increase from In alert levels and is available to all eligible businesses and organisations in New Zealand.
To be eligible for the payment, your business must have experienced at least a 30% drop in revenue or capital-raising ability over a 7 day period after the increased Alert Level, and meet other criteria Eligible businesses can apply to receive the lesser of:
- $1,500 plus $400 per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee, up to a maximum of 50 FTEs, or
- 4 times (4x) the actual revenue drop experienced by the business.
COVID-19 Short-term Absence Payment
The COVID-19 Short-term Absence Payment helps businesses to pay their employees who cannot work from home while they wait for a COVID-19 test result. This payment is also available to self-employed people.
A one-off payment of $350 is available for each employee. You can apply for it once for each eligible employee in any 30-day period. However, you can apply for it again if a health official or doctor tells them to get another test.
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
If your employees have been advised to self-isolate and cannot work from home, you can apply for the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme for them. You can also apply if you are self-employed or a sole trader. The scheme means employees and self-employed people receive an income if they cannot work from home while they’re self-isolating. You can apply for the payment if your employees are not able to be at work, cannot work from home and have advised you that:
- they have COVID-19 and must self-isolate until a medical practitioner advises they can leave self-isolation
- they have been directed to self-isolate, or are the parent or caregiver of a dependant who has been directed to self-isolate, by a Medical Officer of Health
- they are identified as a close contact of someone who has COVID-19, and they have been advised to self-isolate by a medical practitioner or through the National Contact Tracing process
- they are the parent or caregiver of a dependant who has been advised to self-isolate by a medical practitioner or through the National Contact Tracing process, or
- they are, or they have household members who are, most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 (as defined in official Government public health guidance)
The COVID-19 Leave Support payment is paid as a lump sum, calculated to cover 2 weeks. You can re-apply after this time if your employees still qualify.
Applying for assistance
You can apply for most support directly through Work and Income via their website
Check your eligibility
If you’re not sure what support you may be entitled to, follow the link below and answer a few questions and calculate your eligibility here.
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