Notice Type
Departmental
Notice Title

Instrument Amending Ministerial Direction and Welfare Programmes 2017

This instrument is made under sections 5 and 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964 and section 23(3) of the Social Security (Working for Families) Amendment Act 2004 by the Minister for Social Development.

Instrument

1. Title—This instrument is the Instrument amending Ministerial Direction and Welfare Programmes 2017.

2. Commencement—This instrument comes into force on 1 April 2017.

3. Principal direction and welfare programmes amended—This instrument amends the direction and welfare programmes specified in Schedules 1 and 2 (“principal direction and welfare programmes”).

4. Amendments—Amend the principal direction and welfare programmes in the manner set out in Schedules 1 and 2.

_____________

Schedule 1

clause 4

Amendments to direction and welfare programmes

Direction in relation to Special Benefit (given on 10 February 1999)1

Schedule

In each provision of the Schedule listed in the first column of the following table, replace the expression set out in the second column with the expression set out in third column.

Column 1
Provision amended

Column 2
Expressions replaced

$

Column 3
Replacement expressions

$

Clause 1(a)

89.79

90.78

Clause 1(b)

125.13

126.51

Clause 1(c)

234.79

237.38

Clause 4(a)

119.63

120.95

Clause 4(b)

169.78

171.65

Clause 4(c)

309.72

313.14

Clause 5

132.28

133.74

Clause 6(a)

119.63

120.95

Clause 6(b)

169.78

171.65

Clause 6(c)

132.28

133.74

Clause 7(a)

170.03

171.90

Clause 7(b)

170.03

171.90

Clause 7(c)

310.20

313.62

Clause 9

197.80

199.98

Clause 10

285.34

288.49

Clause 13

222.20

224.65

Clause 15

309.72

313.14


Family Start and Early Start (Childcare Assistance) Programme
(as established and approved on 12 September 2005)2

Clause 8(3)

In clause 8(3), replace “$7.47” with “$7.55”.


New Employment Transition Grant Programme (as established and approved on 9 December 1998)3

Clause 5.1.1

In clause 5.1.1, replace “$69.50” with “$70.50”.

Clause 5.2

In clause 5.2, replace “$695” with “$705”.


Seasonal Work Assistance Programme (as established and approved on 7 July 2002)4

Clause 7(3)

In clause 7(3), replace “$870” with “$880”.

Schedule 1

In Schedule 1, replace the table with:

Total period of work missed (per week)

For a single applicant with no dependent children

$

For any other applicant

$

8 hours or less

50

88

More than 8 and not more than 16 hours

100

176

More than 16 and not more than 24 hours

150

264

More than 24 and not more than 32 hours

200

352

More than 32 hours

250

440


Schedule 2

clause 4

Amendments to welfare programmes

Home Help Programme (as established and approved on 6 May 2004)5

Schedule

Clause 1(a)

In the Schedule, in clause 1(a), replace “$16.06” with “$16.59”.


Special Transfer Allowance Programme 2000 (as established and approved on 13 November 2000)6

Schedule

In the Schedule, replace “$303”, “$227”, “$183”, “$384”, “$293” and “$262” with “$324”, “$235”, “$197”, “$404”, “$304” and “$273” respectively.


Dated at Wellington this 9th day of March 2017.

Hon ANNE TOLLEY, Minister for Social Development.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the instrument, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This instrument, which comes into effect on 1 April 2017, amends a Ministerial direction and a number of Ministerial welfare programmes under the Social Security Act 1964.

Clause 4 and Schedule 1:

  • adjust certain rates, standard costs, and limits in relation to Special Benefit, Family Start and Early Start (Childcare Assistance) Programme, New Employment Transition Grant Programme, and Seasonal Work Assistance Programme to reflect a 1.10% increase in the New Zealand Consumers Price Index from the December 2015 quarter to the December 2016 quarter (calculated using the CPI All Groups excluding cigarettes and other tobacco products).

Clause 4 and Schedule 2 amend:

  • the Home Help Programme, to adjust the hourly rate to reflect a 3.28% increase in the adult minimum wage; and
  • the Special Transfer Allowance Programme 2000 to adjust average regional rents to reflect movements in rentals.

1. New Zealand Gazette, 16 December 1999, No. 193, page 4599.

2. New Zealand Gazette, 15 December 2005, No. 207, page 5275.

3. New Zealand Gazette, 17 December 1998, No. 200, page 4769.

4. New Zealand Gazette, 11 July 2002, No. 78, page 2079.

5. New Zealand Gazette, 13 May 2004, No. 52, page 1290.

6. New Zealand Gazette, 16 November 2000, No. 154, page 3995.