Instrument Amending Ministerial Directions and Welfare Programmes 2015

Pursuant to sections 5 and 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964, the Minister for Social Development makes the following instrument.

I n s t r u m e n t

1. Title—This instrument is the Instrument amending Ministerial Directions and Welfare Programmes 2015.

2. Commencement—This instrument comes into force on 1 April 2015.

3. Principal directions and welfare programmes amended—This instrument amends the directions and welfare programmes specified in Schedules 1 and 2 (the principal directions and welfare programmes).

4. Amendments—Amend the principal directions and welfare programmes in the manner set out in Schedules 1 and 2.

______

Schedule 1

Clause 4

Amendments to Direction and Welfare Programmes

Direction in Relation to Special Benefit

(given on 10 February 1999)¹

Schedule

In each provision of the Schedule listed in the first column of the following table, replace the expression set out in the second column with the expression set out in third column.

Column 1 Provision amended	Column 2 Expressions replaced $	Column 3 Replacement expressions $
Clause 1(a)	89.33	89.79
Clause 1(b)	124.50	125.13
Clause 1(c)	233.60	234.79
Clause 4(a)	119.02	119.63
Clause 4(b)	168.92	169.78
Clause 4(c)	308.15	309.72
Clause 5	131.61	132.28
Clause 6(a)	119.02	119.63
Clause 6(b)	168.92	169.78
Clause 6(c)	131.61	132.28
Clause 7(a)	169.17	170.03
Clause 7(b)	169.17	170.03
Clause 7(c)	308.63	310.20
Clause 9	196.80	197.80
Clause 10	283.89	285.34
Clause 13	221.07	222.20
Clause 15	308.15	309.72

Family Start and Early Start (Childcare Assistance) Programme

(as established and approved on 12 September 2005)²

Clause 8(3)

In clause 8(3), replace “$7.43” with “$7.47”.

New Employment Transition Grant Programme

(as established and approved on 9 December 1998)³

Clause 5.1.1

In clause 5.1.1, replace “$69.00” with “$69.50”.

Clause 5.2

In clause 5.2, replace “$690” with “$695”.

Seasonal Work Assistance Programme

(as established and approved on 7 July 2002)⁴

Clause 7(3)

In clause 7(3), replace “$860” with “$870”.

Schedule 1

In Schedule 1, replace the table with:

“Total period of work missed (per week)	For a single applicant with no dependent children $	For any other applicant $
8 hours or less	49.00	87.00
More than 8 and not more than 16 hours	98.00	174.00
More than 16 and not more than 24 hours	147.00	261.00
More than 24 and not more than 32 hours	196.00	348.00
More than 32 hours	245.00	435.00”

______

Schedule 2

Clause 4

Amendments to Directions and Welfare Programmes

Employment and Work Readiness Assistance Programme

(as established and approved on 6 March 2014)⁵

Clause 4(1)

In clause 4(1), definition of non-qualified spouse or partner, replace paragraph (b) with:

“(b) a veteran’s pension at the appropriate rate set out in regulations 42(5) or 42(6) of the Veterans‘ Support Regulations 2014.”.

Direction in relation to Special Benefit

(given on 10 February 1999)⁶

Clause 2.1

In clause 2.1, definition of chargeable income, replace paragraph (c) with:

“(c) any pension or allowance or weekly income compensation received under the Veterans‘ Support Act 2014; and”.

Direction on Advance Payment of Benefits

(given on 25 May 1999)⁷

Clause 1.1

In clause 1.1, definition of cash assets, paragraph (b)(v), replace “applies” with “applies;”.

In clause 1.1, definition of cash assets, after paragraph (b)(v) insert:

“(vi) money the person has been required to contribute in lieu of rent and held to the credit of the person by a provider contracted by the department to provide short-term accommodation to the person and his or her household under the Government’s short-term housing response scheme in Christchurch”.

Home Help Programme

(as established and approved on 6 May 2004)⁸

Schedule

Clause 1(a)

In the Schedule, in clause 1(a), replace “$15.00” with “$15.53”.

Recoverable Assistance Programme

(as established and approved on 15 February 1999)⁹

Clause 3.1

In clause 3.1, definition of cash assets, paragraph (l), replace “applies.” with “applies;”.

In clause 3.1, definition of cash assets, after paragraph (l), insert:

“(m) money the person has been required to contribute in lieu of rent and held to the credit of the person by a provider contracted by the department to provide short-term accommodation to the person and his or her household under the Government’s short-term housing response scheme in Christchurch”.

In clause 3.1, definition of health agency, replace paragraph (e) with:

“(e) the general manager (within the meaning of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014) in respect of any subsidy for disability services under that Act”.

In clause 3.1, insert in its appropriate alphabetical order:

“subsidy, in relation to a health agency, includes a payment, contribution, or other financial assistance provided by that agency”.

Special Needs Grants Programme

(as established and approved on 18 December 1998)¹⁰

Clause 3.1

In clause 3.1, definition of cash assets, paragraph (l), replace “applies” with “applies;”.

In clause 3.1, definition of cash assets, after paragraph (l), insert:

In clause 3.1, definition of health agency, replace paragraph (g) with:

“(g) the general manager (within the meaning of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014) in respect of any subsidy for disability services under that Act”.

In clause 3.1, insert in its appropriate alphabetical order:

“subsidy, in relation to a health agency, includes a payment, contribution, or other financial assistance provided by that agency”.

Special Transfer Allowance Programme 2000

(as established and approved on 13 November 2000)¹¹

Schedule

In the Schedule, replace “$264”, “$211”, “$169”, “$340”, “$277” and “$243” with “$282”, “$214”, “$175”, “$355”, “$284” and “$253” respectively.

Dated at Wellington this 12th day of March 2015.

Hon ANNE TOLLEY, Minister for Social Development.

Explanatory Note

This note is not part of the instrument, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This instrument, which comes into effect on 1 April 2015, amends two Ministerial directions and a number of Ministerial welfare programmes under the Social Security Act 1964.

Clause 4 and Schedule 1 adjusts certain rates, standard costs, and limits to reflect a 0.51% increase in the New Zealand Consumers Price Index from the December 2013 quarter to the December 2014 quarter (calculated using the CPI All Groups excluding cigarettes and other tobacco products).

Clause 4 and Schedule 2 amends:

the Home Help Programme, to adjust the hourly rate to reflect a 3.51% increase in the adult minimum wage:
the Special Transfer Allowance Programme 2000 to adjust average regional rents to reflect movements in rentals:
a Ministerial direction and a number of welfare programmes to make consequential amendments resulting from the Veterans‘ Support Act 2014 replacing the War Pensions Act 1954:
a Ministerial direction and two welfare programmes to exempt from treatment as cash assets money held to the credit of a person under the Government’s short-term housing response scheme in Christchurch.

Key to Annotations

¹ New Zealand Gazette, 16 December 1999, No. 193, page 4599.

² New Zealand Gazette, 15 December 2005, No. 207, page 5275.

³ New Zealand Gazette, 17 December 1998, No. 200, page 4769.

⁴ New Zealand Gazette, 11 July 2002, No. 78, page 2079.

⁵ New Zealand Gazette, 13 March 2014, No. 29, page 837.

⁶ New Zealand Gazette, 16 December 1999, No. 193, page 4599.

⁷ New Zealand Gazette, 24 June 1999, No. 75, page 1687.

⁸ New Zealand Gazette, 13 May 2004, No. 52, page 1290.

⁹ New Zealand Gazette, 25 February 1999, No. 23, page 567.

¹⁰ New Zealand Gazette, 28 January 1999, No. 8, page 202.

¹¹ New Zealand Gazette, 16 November 2000, No. 154, page 3995.