Temporary Additional Support: help when your costs are more than your income
Temporary Additional Support, often shortened to TAS, is a weekly payment from Work and Income for people whose essential living costs are more than their income. It is paid for up to 13 weeks at a time, it is not taxed, and you do not need to be on a benefit to get it.
Work and Income treats it as a last resort. That means it looks first at the other help you can get, such as the Accommodation Supplement and Disability Allowance, and at whether you can cut a cost or raise your income. If there is still a gap, TAS can help fill it.
The basics
- Who can get it: You must be over 16, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and normally live here and plan to stay.
- You do not need to be on a benefit: People in low-paid work can qualify too.
- Your costs must be essential and regular: Things like rent, power, child support set by Inland Revenue, getting to work, childcare, and health or disability costs.
- Cash assets: From 1 April 2026 you can have no more than $1,411.22 if you are single, or $2,351.46 for a couple or a sole parent.
- Not with Special Benefit: You cannot get TAS if you still get the older Special Benefit.
- It lasts up to 13 weeks: After that you need to apply again, and Work and Income checks your situation afresh.
How it is worked out
TAS is based on a simple idea: how much of your income is left once your essential costs are paid, and is it enough to live on?
- Work and Income adds up your income, including any Accommodation Supplement and Disability Allowance you already get.
- It takes away your allowable essential costs, such as housing, child support, work costs and health costs. What is left is your disposable income.
- It compares that with a set amount called standard costs. For most people this is 70% of the after-tax benefit rate for their situation, plus 70% of any Family Tax Credit. If you are not on a benefit, the Jobseeker Support rate is used.
- If your disposable income is lower than your standard costs, the gap is called a deficiency. TAS pays that gap, up to a limit.
- The limit is 30% of the after-tax benefit rate for your situation. For a single person aged 25 or over, that works out at about $111 a week.
There is one exception. If you have high disability costs that go above the Disability Allowance maximum, part of those extra costs can be paid on top of the usual limit.
Worked example. Sam is single, aged 30, and on Jobseeker Support of $372.55 a week. He also gets $165 a week of Accommodation Supplement, so his income is $537.55.
His essential costs: rent of $420 a week, so his disposable income is $537.55 minus $420, which is $117.55.
His standard costs: 70% of $372.55 is about $260.79.
The gap: $260.79 minus $117.55 is about $143.24.
The limit: 30% of $372.55 is about $111.77, so his TAS would be capped at about $111.77 a week.
This is a simplified example. Work and Income works out the exact figure from your own costs and proof.
The catch
- It is temporary on purpose. You must reapply every 13 weeks or so, and Work and Income may ask what you have done to lower your costs or raise your income.
- Other payments come first. The Accommodation Supplement and Disability Allowance are counted as income, so they reduce the gap that TAS fills. Apply for those first if you qualify.
- The asset limit is low. Just over $1,400 in the bank for a single person can rule you out.
- Your payment can change when other rates change. A rise in your main benefit, often on 1 April, can lower your TAS. Tell Work and Income about any change in your income or costs.
- You need proof. Bring evidence of your costs, such as a rent letter, power bills or a child support assessment.
Do this next
- List your weekly income and every regular essential cost, with proof for each.
- Make sure you have applied for the Accommodation Supplement and, if it applies, the Disability Allowance.
- Apply through MyMSD. If you are not already a Work and Income client, use the Extra Help application form, or phone 0800 559 009.
- Finish the application within 20 working days of first contact, so you can be paid from the date you asked.
- Put a reminder in your diary for about 11 weeks' time, so you can reapply before the payment ends.
- For free help with a budget, phone MoneyTalks on 0800 345 123.
Our free Interview Room helps you get ready for a Work and Income appointment.
Common questions
Do I have to pay Temporary Additional Support back?
No. It is a weekly payment to help with costs, not a loan. You only repay money you were overpaid, for example if your income went up and you did not tell Work and Income.
Can I get TAS if I am working?
Yes. If your costs are more than your income and you meet the other rules, you can qualify while working.
What happens after 13 weeks?
The payment stops unless you reapply. Work and Income looks at your situation again and can grant it for another period.
What costs do not count?
Costs need to be essential and regular. One-off costs, such as a car repair, are handled by other help such as a Special Needs Grant or an Advance Payment of Benefit.
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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.