Example - Orphans or Unsupported Child's Benefit is paid
A single client aged 45 years old getting Jobseeker Support also receives an Unsupported Child's Benefit for a grandchild.
Weekly Chargeable income | Weekly Allowable costs | ||
Net rate of Jobseeker Support before any deductions (as at 1 April 2026) | $372.55 | Weekly qualifying accommodation costs (Kāinga Ora rent $88.00) less $34.13 accommodation deduction (as at 1 April 2026) | $53.87 |
Disability Allowance for client | $50.00 | Disability Allowance costs for client | $50.00 |
Disability Allowance for Unsupported Child (as at 1 April 2026) | $82.85 | Disability Allowance costs for Unsupported Child | $110.00 |
Bed | $38.99 | ||
Fridge-freezer | $25.00 | ||
Vehicle repayments | $80.00 | ||
Total chargeable income | $505.40 | Total allowable costs | $357.86 |
Step 1 - Calculate client's disposable income
Calculate the amount of disposable income.
Chargeable income | $505.40 |
Less Allowable costs | $357.86 |
Equals Disposable income | $147.54 |
Step 2 - Calculate client's deficiency (or surplus) in their disposable income
Calculate the deficiency or surplus.
Standard costs 70% of the net rate of abated Jobseeker Support (as at 1 April 2026) | $260.78 |
Less Disposable income (from step 1) | $147.54 |
Equals Deficiency | $113.24 |
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 this amount to the deficiency.
Upper limit 30% of the net rate of unabated Jobseeker Support ($372.55 x 30% as at 1 April 2026) | $111.76 |
Deficiency (from step 2) | $113.24 |
Compare the upper limit to the deficiency. The rate of Temporary Additional Support is the lesser of the deficiency or the upper limit unless the client qualifies for a disability exception amount. | $111.76 |
If the deficiency is greater than the upper limit, the rate of payment for Temporary Additional Support is the upper limit, plus the disability exception amount (if the client qualifies for it).
Step 4 - Calculate the disability exception amount
Determine if the client qualifies for a disability exception amount.
In this case, the client qualifies for a disability exception amount because the upper limit is less than the client's income deficiency and they also have excess disability costs.
They have excess disability costs because their grandchild (the unsupported child) has Disability Allowance costs in excess of the maximum amount of Disability Allowance paid.
Step 4(a) - Calculate the excess disability costs total
Total all of the Disability Allowance costs for each family member who has costs that exceed the maximum amount of Disability Allowance paid (including any child for whom Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit is paid) | $110.00 (child) |
Less the maximum rate of Disability Allowance paid for each family member who is getting the maximum amount of Disability Allowance (as at 1 April 2026) including any child for whom Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Childs Benefit is being paid | $82.85 |
$27.15 |
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
Deficiency | $113.24 |
Less the upper limit of Temporary Additional Support | $111.76 |
Excess total costs | $1.48 |
Step 4(c) - Calculate applicable excess costs
The client's applicable excess costs is the lesser amount of their:
- excess disability costs total and
- excess total costs
Excess disability costs total | $27.15 |
Excess total costs | $1.48 |
Applicable excess costs (lesser amount of $27.15 and $1.48) | $1.48 |
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 $100.00. 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 $100.00 | $1.48 |
Find 30% of remaining balance of applicable excess costs not covered above (if any) | n/a |
Disability exception amount | $1.48 |
Step 5 - Calculate the rate of Temporary Additional Support.
Calculate the rate of Temporary Additional Support.
Upper limit (from step 3) | $111.76 |
Plus Disability exception amount (from step 4) | $1.48 |
Equals rate of Temporary Additional Support | $113.24 |
The rate of payment for Temporary Additional Support is $113.24 (as at 1 April 2026).
For more information see:
Legislation
- Hardship assistance subpart 16 part 2, Social Security Act 2018
- Temporary additional support subpart 10 part 2, Social Security Regulations 2018
- Prescribed amount of support: general weekly rate regulation 62 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Disability exception amount regulation 64 Social Security Regulations 2018
