Accommodation Supplement

You may get an Accommodation Supplement if you:

• have accommodation costs where you're living
• are either:
  • 18 or older
  • 16 or 17 and either:
    
    • working full-time, or
    • have had an Independent Circumstances Allowance approved before,
    • getting a benefit
• are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
• normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here
• are not paying rent to live in a social housing property

It also depends on:

• how much you and your partner earn
• any money or assets you and your partner have.

Studying full-time

If you're studying full-time, you can't get an Accommodation Supplement if:

• you're currently getting Student Allowance
• you're not entitled to Student Allowance because of your:
  • income
  • partner's income
  • parents’ income
• you've chosen not to get Student Allowance.

You may be able to get an Accommodation Supplement if you're not entitled to Student Allowance for other reasons (eg, you're doing part-time study, or post-graduate study).

How much you get is based on:

• the area you live in
• your accommodation costs for where you live
• your income
• your cash assets
• your family circumstances.

You also need to be paying at least:

If you are:	You need to be paying at least:
	Rent or board	Home ownership costs (eg, mortgage, rates)
Single, 16+ years	$53	$64
Partner, no children	$89	$106
Partner, 1+ children	$118	$142
Sole parent, 1 child	$106	$127
Sole parent, 2+ children	$106	$127

Depending on where you live, the most you can get is:

If you are:	and you live in:
	Area 1 limit	Area 2 limit	Area 3 limit	Area 4 limit
Single, 16+ years	$145	$100	$65	$45
Partner, no children	$160	$125	$75	$55
Partner, 1+ children	$225	$165	$120	$75
Sole parent, 1 child	$160	$125	$75	$55
Sole parent, 2+ children	$225	$165	$120	$75

You can apply online using MyStudyLink. You'll need to do an eligibility test.

If you can't apply online or if your partner wants to apply, download the Extra Help application form.

If you're eligible, we can grant the Accommodation Supplement from the date you first contact us to ask for help, as long as you complete your application within 20 working days of that date.

If you’re already getting Accommodation Supplement and your costs change, you need to let us know. If you don't let us know, you may get a debt.