Family Assistance

ive tried to understand how this works but i am so lost!!!

After you get your 12 weeks pay after you have baby what happens next do you live on one income till you go back to work or is there a form of assistance for this period?

Im finishing work end of Nov as our the owners are movin into the flat we are in and moving cities as DP wants to start a business with his mate. He is likely to have a part time job just so there is a couple hundred a week guarenteed. I am giving him a year to see if the business will work out otherwise we come back and i can go back to my job.

Im just a bit worried about how we will be able to survive and give DP the chance he really wants if there is no assistance when it gets though.

The only paid leave a mother gets is for that initial 12 weeks, yes, but.... if your (combined) income falls below a certain threshold (I think $70k per annum for 1 child) then you are also entitled to Family tax credit - the new name for Family Support - to supplement your income.

Also pays to look into accomodation supplement.

I thought it was 14 weeks paid maternity leave?

Link to Family Tax Credit (Family Support) calculator

Just enter your annual income, amount of children, and where the income is from (e.g. benefit/wage?). It's an excellent tool, if you qualify you still need to apply with the IRD and can't do that until the baby is born.

I was wondering about this aswell, as when im on maternity leave when I finally get pregnant, we will be on one wage from my partner and thats only about $350 a week, so we will need some kind of family assistance, we will have to look into that aswell!

Good to know there is help tho

Edited by Sheza

So you can get some money even if you resign?! Is this influenced by your 'Significant others' income?

does it go based on your income before being pregnant - or your combined income with you not working? Thats where it confuses me

Accomodation supplement is assessed on a week by week basis. ie it's based on the current week's income and updates the moment your income changes (you have to tell them of course). If your income changes from week to week you'll have to call every week - bummer but still worth the $$. It's dished out by WINZ.

Family tax credit is based on yours and your partner's combined income for that financial year - ie April through to March. When you file your IR3 (tax return) at the end of the year they will double-check that you've been paid the right amount, with a credit/debit due.

Bombshell wrote: we worked out we would have to have at least 9 kids before we would be eligible for the tax credit - gotta love nz tax system huh?

wow!!!!!

gandt wrote: Bombshell wrote: we worked out we would have to have at least 9 kids before we would be eligible for the tax credit - gotta love nz tax system huh? wow!!!!!

lol haha yea we would have to have at least 4-5 kids before we could get any family assistance too, its quite anoying