Calculating the rate of payment
To calculate the rate of payment for Temporary Additional Support, complete the following steps:
Step 1 - Calculate client's disposable income
Calculate the amount of disposal income.
MSD needs to determine the client's, and partner's, (if any) weekly amount of chargeable income, and weekly amount of allowable costs.
Weekly chargeable income | $0.00 |
Less Weekly allowable costs | $ |
Equals Disposable income | $ |
Step 2 - Calculate client's deficiency (or surplus) in their disposable income
Calculate the deficiency or surplus.
Standard costs No dependent children - 70% of net full main benefit, New Zealand Superannuation or Veterans Pension rate With dependent children - 70% of net full main benefit, New Zealand Superannuation or Veterans Pension rate plus 70% of full net rate of family tax credit (For non-beneficiaries use 70% of the appropriate full net rate for Jobseeker Support) | $0.00 |
Less Disposable income | $ |
Equals Deficiency (positive amount) Surplus (negative amount) | $ |
A client does not qualify for Temporary Additional Support if:
- there is a surplus or
- the deficiency is less than $1.00
Step 3 - Compare deficiency to upper limit to find lesser amount
Calculate the client's upper limit for Temporary Additional Support then compare the upper limit amount to the deficiency.
(30% of the net rate of full main benefit, New Zealand Superannuation or Veterans Pension rate payable to the client or for non-beneficiaries 30% of the appropriate full net rate of Jobseeker Support) | $0.00 |
Deficiency (from step 2) | $ |
Compare: the upper limit to the deficiency. The rate for Temporary Additional Support is the lesser amount unless the client qualifies for a disability exception amount. | $ |
If the deficiency is less than the upper limit, the rate of payment for Temporary Additional Support is the deficiency. The client will not qualify for a disability exception amount.
If the client qualifies for a disability exception amount, go to step 4 below.
Step 4 - Calculate the disability exception amount (if client qualifies)
Determine if the client qualifies for a disability exception amount.
The client will qualify for a disability exception amount if the client's deficiency is greater than the upper limit, and they or their family have excess disability costs.
Step 4(a) - Calculate the excess disability costs total
If the client qualifies for a disability exception amount, calculate the excess disability costs total. This is the total amount of excess disability costs of the client and their family, including any child for whom Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Childs Benefit is paid.
Family member | Total amount of allowable Disability Allowance costs | Less the maximum amount of Disability Allowance payable | Excess disability costs |
Client | $ | $82.85 (maximum as at 1 April 2026) | $ |
Partner | $ | $82.85 (maximum as at 1 April 2026) | $ |
Child 1 | $ | $82.85 (maximum as at 1 April 2026) | $ |
Child 2 | $ | $82.85 (maximum as at 1 April 2026) | $ |
Excess disability costs total | $ |
The excess disability costs total must not include any costs for counselling (including the costs of transport to attend counselling) that are above the maximum rate of Disability Allowance.
Step 4(b) - Calculate the excess total costs
A client's excess total costs are the client and their partner's (if any) deficiency in their disposable income minus the upper limit of Temporary Additional Support. Excess total costs are the costs that are not already covered by the upper limit of Temporary Additional Support.
Deficiency | $0.00 |
Less the upper limit of Temporary Additional Support | $ |
Excess total costs | $ |
Step 4(c) - Calculate applicable excess costs
Calculate the client's applicable excess costs to determine what amount to use to calculate the disability exception amount. A client's applicable excess costs is the lesser amount of their:
- excess disability costs total and
- excess total costs
Excess disability costs total | $0.00 (A) |
Excess total costs | $0.00 (B) |
Applicable excess costs | Lesser amount of (A) and (B) |
Step 4(d) - Calculate the disability exception amount using the client's applicable excess costs
The disability exception amount provides a full subsidy for a client's applicable excess costs amount of up to $100. If the client has any applicable excess costs remaining after the full subsidy has been applied, these are subsidised at 30% of the remaining applicable excess costs amount.
Applicable excess costs amount will be fully subsidised up to $100 | Up to $100 (C) |
Find 30% of remaining balance of applicable excess costs not covered above (if any) | 30% x remaining applicable excess (D) |
Disability exception amount | Add (C) and (D) together |
Step 5 - Calculate the rate of Temporary Additional Support
Calculate the rate of Temporary Additional Support.
Upper limit (from step 3) | $0.00 |
Plus Disability exception amount (from step 4 (d)) | $ |
Equals rate of payment for Temporary Additional Support | $ |
Note Temporary Additional Support is calculated differently for certain refugee and protected person applicants, and applicants for residence.
For more information see:
Legislation
- Prescribed amount of support: general weekly rate regulation 62 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Variation of upper limit for persons awaiting decision on refugee or protected person claims, refugees and protected persons, and certain applicants for residence class visas regulation 63 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Disability exception amount regulation 64 Social Security Regulations 2018
