Accommodation Benefit rates

Weekly payment rates for Accommodation Benefit.

How much you get for the Accommodation Benefit depends on your situation.

If you're studying on campus, or overseas, it's based on where your New Zealand education provider is.
If you're studying extramurally, it's based on where you live in New Zealand.
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.

Find your rate

Select the 'North Island' or 'South Island' option. Then find your city or district council area (Territorial Authority) to see what your rate will be.

If you're a sole parent, we use a different calculation to work out your rate. Select the 'Sole parent' option below.

Territorial Authority	Current rate	New rate from 1 January 2024
Auckland	$60	$60
Carterton District	$60	$60
Central Hawke's Bay District	$60	$60
Far North District	$60	$60
Gisborne District	$60	$60
Hamilton City	$60	$60
Hastings District	$60	$60
Hauraki District	$60	$60
Horowhenua District	$60	$60
Kaipara District	$60	$60
Kāpiti Coast District	$60	$60
Kawerau District	$60	$60
Lower Hutt City	$60	$60
Manawatū District	$60	$60
Masterton District	$60	$60
Matamata-Piako District	$60	$60
Napier City	$60	$60
New Plymouth District	$60	$60
Ōpōtiki District	$55.50	$60
Ōtorohanga District	$60	$60
Palmerston North City	$60	$60
Porirua City	$60	$60
Rangitīkei District	$60	$60
Rotorua District	$60	$60
Ruapehu District	$54.50	$60
South Taranaki District	$60	$60
South Waikato District	$60	$60
South Wairarapa District	$60	$60
Stratford District	$60	$60
Tararua District	$49	$60
Taupō District	$60	$60
Tauranga City	$60	$60
Thames-Coromandel District	$60	$60
Upper Hutt City	$60	$60
Waikato District	$60	$60
Waipa District	$60	$60
Wairoa District	$57.50	$60
Waitomo District	$56.50	$56.50
Wellington City	$60	$60
Western Bay of Plenty District	$60	$60
Whakatāne District	$60	$60
Whanganui District	$60	$60
Whangārei District	$60	$60

Territorial Authority	Current rate	New rate from 1 January 2024
Ashburton District	$57.50	$60
Buller District	$60	$60
Central Otago District	$60	$60
Chatham Islands Territory	$60	$60
Christchurch City	$60	$60
Clutha District	$50.50	$60
Dunedin City	$60	$60
Gore District	$54.50	$60
Grey District	$57	$60
Hurunui District	$59.50	$60
Invercargill City	$54.50	$60
Kaikōura District	$60	$60
Mackenzie District	$56.50	$60
Marlborough District	$60	$60
Nelson City	$60	$60
Queenstown-Lakes District	$60	$60
Selwyn District	$60	$60
Southland District	$53	$58
Tasman District	$60	$60
Timaru District	$60	$60
Waimakariri District	$60	$60
Waimate District	$51.50	$51.50
Waitaki District	$60	$60
Westland District	$55.50	$55.50

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:

$152 a week for rent or board, or
$183 a week for your home ownership costs, e.g mortgage, rates, insurance.

The most you can get for an Accommodation Benefit is:

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

Accommodation Benefit rates

Live in a hostel

Find your rate

North Island

Territorial Authority

Current rate

New rate from 1 January 2024

South Island

Territorial Authority

Current rate

New rate from 1 January 2024

Sole parent

The most you can get for an Accommodation Benefit is: