Accommodation Benefit rates

Weekly payment rates for Accommodation Benefit.

Important information

The Accommodation Benefit rates for eligible Student Allowance recipients, excluding sole parents, changes from 1 January 2022.

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

2021

New rate

1/1/2022
Auckland $60 $60
Cambridge $60 $60
Carterton $57 $57
Dannevirke $39 $44
Dargaville $54.50 $60
Featherston $60 $60
Feilding $51.50 $60
Foxton $52 $60
Gisborne $59 $60
Greytown $60 $60
Hamilton $60 $60
Hastings $60 $60
Havelock North $60 $60
Hāwera $54 $54.50
Hawke's Bay $60 $60
Huntly $60 $60
Kaitaia $54 $60
Kāpiti $60 $60
Katikati $50.50 $60
Kerikeri $60 $60
Levin $52.50 $60
Marton $39 $59.50
Masterton $49.50 $58
Matamata $60 $60
Morrinsville $54.50 $56
Mount Maunganui $60 $60
Napier $60 $60
New Plymouth $60 $60
Northland $60 $60
Ōpotiki $47.50 $47.50
Ōtaki $60 $60
Ōtorohanga $42 $47.50
Paeroa $60 $60
Palmerston North $57 $60
Paparoa $60 $60
Putāruru $36 $56
Rāwene $60 $60
Rotorua $60 $60
Stratford $45.50 $51.50
Taumarunui $37.50 $37.50
Taupō $60 $60
Tauranga $60 $60
Te Aroha $47 $53
Te Awamutu $60 $60
Te Kuiti $43 $56.50
Te Puke $60 $60
Thames $60 $60
Tokoroa $47.50 $58
Tūrangi $38.50 $38.50
Waihi $60 $60
Waipawa $39 $54.50
Waipukurau $38.50 $48
Wairoa $54.50 $54.50
Waitara $53.50 $60
Warkworth (Pūhoi) $60 $60
Wellington $60 $60
Wellsford $60 $60
Whakatāne $60 $60
Whanganui $52.50 $60
Whāngarei $60 $60
Whitianga $60 $60
Woodville $39.50 $49
Region

Current rate

2021

New Rate

1/1/2022
Arrowtown $60 $60
Ashburton $52.50 $57.50
Balclutha $45 $47.50
Blenheim $60 $60
Christchurch $60 $60
Cromwell $60 $60
Dunedin $60 $60
Gore $41.50 $47.50
Greymouth $46 $52.50
Hokitika $37.50 $43
Invercargill $43.50 $51
Kaikoura $60 $60
Motueka $60 $60
Nelson $60 $60
Ōamaru $48 $56
Picton $60 $60
Queenstown $60 $60
Timaru $48.50 $52.50
Waimate $42.50 $50.50
Wakefield $60 $60
Wānaka $60 $60
West Coast $60 $60
Westport $56 $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