Accommodation Supplement: help with your rent, board or mortgage
The Accommodation Supplement is a weekly payment from Work and Income towards your housing costs. It helps with rent, board or the costs of owning your home. It is not taxed, and you do not need to be on a benefit to get it. Plenty of people in paid work qualify and never apply, because they assume it is only for beneficiaries.
How much you get depends on where you live, who lives with you, what you pay for housing and what you earn. The most it can be is $305 a week, for a family in the most expensive areas such as Auckland, Tauranga and Queenstown.
The basics
- Who can get it: You must be 16 or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and normally live here and plan to stay.
- You do not need to be on a benefit: Working people, students and people on NZ Super can all qualify. Your income just has to be under the limit for your household.
- Your housing costs must be high enough: You must pay at least a minimum amount each week for housing. Work and Income calls this the entry threshold.
- Cash assets: You can have up to $8,100 if you are single, or $16,200 for a couple or a sole parent. That counts money in the bank and other cash assets, not your house or car.
- Not for social housing: You cannot get it if you rent from Kāinga Ora or a community housing provider and pay an income-related rent.
- It is not a loan: It is a regular weekly payment while you qualify.
How much you can get
New Zealand is split into four areas. Area 1 has the highest housing costs and the highest maximums. These are the most you can get each week from 1 April 2026.
| Household | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $165 | $105 | $80 | $70 |
| Couple, no children | $235 | $155 | $105 | $80 |
| Sole parent, 1 child | $235 | $155 | $105 | $80 |
| Couple with children | $305 | $220 | $160 | $120 |
| Sole parent, 2 or more children | $305 | $220 | $160 | $120 |
Area 1 includes Auckland, Tauranga and Queenstown. Area 2 includes Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Nelson and Whangārei. Area 3 includes Dunedin, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Gisborne and Timaru. Area 4 is everywhere else. Work and Income can tell you which area your address is in.
How it is worked out
The payment covers 70% of your housing costs above the entry threshold, up to the maximum for your area. For renters and boarders the entry threshold is roughly a quarter of the after-tax benefit rate for your household. For homeowners it is a little higher. For example, the entry threshold for a single person on Jobseeker Support is $93 a week for rent and $112 for a mortgage.
If you are boarding, only 62% of your board counts, because the rest is treated as food and power.
If you are not on a benefit, your income is checked too. A single person can earn up to $693 a week before tax before the payment starts to drop. A couple without children can earn $1,066, a couple with children $1,117 and a sole parent $906. Above that, the payment falls by 25 cents for every extra dollar you earn, until it stops.
Worked example. Mere is single, works part-time and earns $650 a week before tax. She rents a room in Tauranga (Area 1) for $300 a week.
Her rent above the threshold: $300 minus the $93 entry threshold is $207.
70% of that: $207 x 0.7 is $144.90.
The cap for a single person in Area 1: $165, so the cap does not bite.
Her income: $650 is under the $693 limit, so nothing is taken off.
Result: Mere could get about $144.90 a week. Her real figure is set by Work and Income, but this shows why it is worth asking.
The catch
- Most working renters do not know they qualify. The income limits are higher than people expect, especially in Area 1 and for families.
- You must report changes. If your rent goes up, tell Work and Income and your payment may rise. If your income goes up or someone moves in, tell them too, or you may have to pay back what you were overpaid.
- The yearly check. Work and Income reviews your payment at least every 52 weeks. If you do not send back the Confirming your Circumstances form, the payment stops.
- Income from boarders counts. If you take in a boarder or flatmate, the money they pay you is looked at.
- The cash asset limit has never changed. The $8,100 and $16,200 limits have been the same since 1993, so a modest savings balance can rule you out.
- A change for homeowners is coming. From 1 April 2027 the entry threshold for homeowners on most benefits rises, so some will get less or nothing. Renters, and people on NZ Super, Veteran's Pension or Supported Living Payment, are not affected. The area boundaries are also being updated from that date.
Do this next
- Find your weekly rent, board or mortgage costs, and your weekly income before tax.
- Check the area table above for the most you could get.
- Apply through MyMSD, or with the Extra Help application form if you are not already a Work and Income client. Students apply through StudyLink.
- Send proof of your housing costs, such as your tenancy agreement, a rent letter or a mortgage statement.
- Finish the application within 20 working days of first contacting Work and Income. If you do, you can be paid from the day you first got in touch.
- If you are struggling to pay the rest of your essential costs, ask about Temporary Additional Support as well.
If you are going in to see Work and Income, our free Interview Room tells you what to bring.
Common questions
Can I get the Accommodation Supplement if I work full-time?
Yes, if your income is under the limit for your household and area. A family in Auckland can earn well over $2,000 a week before tax and still get some help.
Does it count if I am boarding with family?
Yes. Board counts as a housing cost, but only 62% of what you pay is used to work out your payment.
Do I have to pay it back?
No, it is not a loan. You only pay back money you were overpaid, for example if your income rose and you did not tell Work and Income.
I live in a Kāinga Ora house. Can I get it?
Not if you pay an income-related rent. That rent is already set at a share of your income, so the supplement is not paid on top.
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Last reviewed 16 October 2026. Written by Streetwise from the official pages listed above. General information only, not legal or financial advice.