This instrument is made under sections 5 and 124(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1964 and section 23(3) of the Social Security (Working for Families) Amendment Act 2004 by the Minister for Social Development.

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Instrument

1. Title

This instrument is the Instrument amending Ministerial Direction and Welfare Programmes 2018.

2. Commencement

(1) This instrument comes into force on 1 April 2018.

(2) However, Part 1 of Schedule 1 comes into force on 1 July 2018.

3. Principal direction and welfare programmes amended

This instrument amends the direction and welfare programmes specified in Schedules 1 and 2 (the principal direction and welfare programmes).

4. Amendments

Amend the principal direction and welfare programmes in the manner set out in Schedules 1 and 2.

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Schedule 1

cl 4

Amendments to direction and welfare programmes

Part 1

Amendments to Direction in relation to Special Benefit

Direction in relation to Special Benefit (given on 10 February 1999)¹

Clause 2

In clause 2.1, definition of chargeable income, paragraph (a), after “unsupported child’s benefit,”, insert “the winter energy payment,”.

In clause 2.1, definition of chargeable income, paragraph (aa), replace “family tax credit under subpart MD” with “family tax credit or Best Start tax credit under subpart MD or MG”.

Part 2

Amendments to direction and welfare programmes

Direction in relation to Special Benefit (given on 10 February 1999)²

Clause 2

In clause 2.1, definition of chargeable income, paragraph (f)(i), after “additional costs,”, insert “the Families Package (Transitional Assistance) Programme,”.

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.

Family Start and Early Start (Childcare Assistance) Programme (as established and approved on 12 September 2005)³

Clause 8(3)

In clause 8(3), definition of c, replace “$7.55” with $7.65”.

New Employment Transition Grant Programme (as established and approved on 9 December 1998)⁴

Clause 5.1.1

In clause 5.1.1, replace “$70.50” with “$71.50”.

Clause 5.2

In clause 5.2, replace “$705” with “$715”.

Seasonal Work Assistance Programme (as established and approved on 7 July 2002)⁵

Clause 7(3)

In clause 7(3), replace “$880” with “$900”.

Schedule 1

In Schedule 1, table, replace with:

Schedule 2

cl 4

Amendments to welfare programmes

Families Package (Transitional Assistance) Programme (as established and approved on 12 February 2018)⁶

Clause 4

In clause 4(1), definition of Families Package, replace “Amounts” with “Rates”.

In clause 4(1), definition of specified amendment—

1. in paragraph (a)(i), replace “Amounts” with “Rates”:
2. in paragraph (b), replace “1999” with “1998”.

In clause 4(1), definition of specified payment, paragraph (m), replace “1999” with “1998”.

Home Help Programme (as established and approved on 6 May 2004)⁷

Schedule

Clause 1(a)

In the Schedule, clause 1(a), replace “$16.59” with “$17.38”.

Special Transfer Allowance Programme 2000 (as established and approved on 13 November 2000)⁸

Schedule

In the Schedule, replace “$324”, “$235”, “$197”, “$404”, “$304” and “$273” with “$345”, “$257”, “$214”, “$426”, “$333” and “$286” respectively.

Dated at Wellington this 28th day of February 2018.

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI, 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 generally comes into force on 1 April 2018, amends a Ministerial direction 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 in relation to the Direction in relation to Special Benefit, Family Start and Early Start (Childcare Assistance) Programme, New Employment Transition Grant Programme, and Seasonal Work Assistance Programme to reflect a 1.36% increase in the New Zealand Consumers Price Index from the December 2016 quarter to the December 2017 quarter (calculated using the CPI All Groups excluding cigarettes and other tobacco products); and
• amends the definition of chargeable income in the Direction in relation to Special Benefit to exclude payments under the Families Package (Transitional Assistance) Programme and (on and from 1 July 2018) the winter energy payment and include the Best Start tax credit.

Clause 4 and Schedule 2 amends:

• the Home Help Programme, to adjust the hourly rate to reflect a 4.76% increase in the adult minimum wage:
• the Special Transfer Allowance Programme 2000 to adjust average regional rents to reflect movements in rentals:
• the Families Package (Transitional Assistance) Programme to correct drafting errors.

Notes

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

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

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

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

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

6 New Zealand Gazette, 15 February 2018, Notice No. 2018-go692.

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

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