Accommodation Benefit rates

Weekly payment rates for Accommodation Benefit.

How much you get for the Accommodation Benefit depends on either:

  • where you live in New Zealand while you're studying, or
  • where your New Zealand education provider is based if you're studying overseas.

If you're a sole parent, it depends on your accommodation costs, income and cash assets.

Live in a hostel

If you currently live in a hostel, you can get as much as $60 a week, depending on what hostel you live in. We won't pay for your lump sum hostel or hall of residence costs.

Region Current rate
Auckland $60
Cambridge $60
Carterton $57
Dannevirke $39
Dargaville $54.50
Featherston $60
Feilding $51.50
Foxton $52
Gisborne $59
Greytown $60
Hamilton $60
Hastings $60
Havelock North $60
Hāwera $54
Hawke's Bay $60
Huntly $60
Kaitaia $54
Kāpiti $60
Katikati $50.50
Kerikeri $60
Levin $52.50
Marton $39
Masterton $49.50
Matamata $60
Morrinsville $54.50
Mount Maunganui $60
Napier $60
New Plymouth $60
Northland $60
Ōpotiki $47.50
Ōtaki $60
Ōtorohanga $42
Paeroa $60
Palmerston North $57
Paparoa $60
Putāruru $36
Rāwene $60
Rotorua $60
Stratford $45.50
Taumarunui $37.50
Taupō $60
Tauranga $60
Te Aroha $47
Te Awamutu $60
Te Kuiti $43
Te Puke $60
Thames $60
Tokoroa $47.50
Tūrangi $38.50
Waihi $60
Waipawa $39
Waipukurau $38.50
Wairoa $54.50
Waitara $53.50
Warkworth (Pūhoi) $60
Wellington $60
Wellsford $60
Whakatāne $60
Whanganui $52.50
Whāngarei $60
Whitianga $60
Woodville $39.50
Region Current rate
Arrowtown $60
Ashburton $52.50
Balclutha $45
Blenheim $60
Christchurch $60
Cromwell $60
Dunedin $60
Gore $41.50
Greymouth $46
Hokitika $37.50
Invercargill $43.50
Kaikoura $60
Motueka $60
Nelson $60
Ōamaru $48
Picton $60
Queenstown $60
Timaru $48.50
Waimate $42.50
Wakefield $60
Wānaka $60
West Coast $60
Westport $56

If where you live isn't listed in the 'North Island' and 'South Island' tables, you'll get a rural rate of $60 a week.

If you're a sole parent, we work out how much Accommodation Benefit you can get by using the same calculation we would for Accommodation Supplement.

This is based on:

  • the Area you live in
  • your accommodation costs
  • your income
  • your cash assets.

You also need to be paying at least:

  • $125 a week for rent or board, or
  • $150 a week for your home ownership costs, eg mortgage, rates, insurance.

The most you can get for an Accommodation Benefit is:

If you have: And you live in:
Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4
1 child $235 $155 $105 $80
2+ children $305 $220 $160 $120