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.

  • North Island

    Region Current rate
    Auckland $60
    Cambridge $58.50
    Carterton $40
    Dannevirke $26.50
    Dargaville $41
    Featherston $40
    Feilding $41.50
    Foxton $37.50
    Gisborne $41.50
    Greytown $46.50
    Hamilton $57
    Hastings $54
    Havelock North $54
    Hawera $36
    Hawke's Bay $54
    Huntly $48
    Kaitaia $40.50
    Kapiti $58.50
    Katikati $43.50
    Kerikeri $60
    Levin $35.50
    Marton $22
    Masterton $40
    Matamata $53.50
    Morrinsville $54.50
    Mount Maunganui $54
    Napier $59
    New Plymouth $53.50
    Northland $54
    Opotiki $31
    Otaki $53
    Otorohanga $41
    Paeroa $40
    Palmerston North $45
    Paparoa $54
    Putaruru $33
    Rawene $54
    Rotorua $49
    Stratford $35.50
    Taumarunui $25
    Taupo $51.50
    Tauranga $60
    Te Aroha $45
    Te Awamutu $52.50
    Te Kuiti $31
    Te Puke $54.50
    Thames $53.50
    Tokoroa $26
    Turangi $24.50
    Waihi $46.50
    Waipawa $27
    Waipukurau $35.50
    Wairoa $35
    Waitara $40
    Warkworth (Puhoi) $60
    Wellington $60
    Wellsford $54
    Whakatane $56.50
    Whanganui $33.50
    Whangarei $53
    Whitianga $55
    Woodville $29.50

  • South Island

    Region Current rate
    Arrowtown $60
    Ashburton $50
    Balclutha $33.50
    Blenheim $50.50
    Christchurch $60
    Cromwell $60
    Dunedin $56
    Gore $29
    Greymouth $40
    Hokitika $34
    Invercargill $30
    Kaikoura $60
    Motueka $56.50
    Nelson $54.50
    Oamaru $39.50
    Picton $50.50
    Queenstown $60
    Timaru $41
    Waimate $31
    Wakefield $47
    Wanaka $60
    West Coast $54
    Westport $40

  • Live rurally

    If where you live isn't listed in the 'North Island' and 'South Island' tables, you'll currently get a rural rate of $54 a week.

  • Sole parent

    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:

    • $112 a week for rent or board, or
    • $134 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