Supported Living Payment for Carers in New Zealand

You have stopped working to care for your parent full-time. The bills have not stopped. Work and Income's Supported Living Payment (SLP) exists for exactly this situation — but most family carers do not know they may qualify, and the eligibility rules are narrower than people expect.

What the Supported Living Payment Is

The SLP is a weekly income replacement benefit administered by Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development). It is designed for people who cannot work full-time because they are caring for someone at home who would otherwise require hospital-level or residential care.

The critical qualifier: your parent's care needs must be equivalent to what a rest home or hospital would provide. Casual help with shopping and housework does not meet the threshold. You need to demonstrate that without your full-time presence, your parent would require institutional placement.

Current SLP rates (after tax, as at April 2026):

• Single person aged 25+: approximately $343 per week
• Couple (both eligible): approximately $286 per week each
• Single person with dependent children: higher rates apply depending on number of children

These rates are adjusted annually on 1 April. The SLP is taxable income and is subject to income and asset testing.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for SLP as a carer, you must meet all of these:

1. You are providing full-time care at home for someone who has been medically certified as requiring constant care and attention. "Full-time" generally means the caring role prevents you from working more than 15 hours per week in paid employment.

2. A medical certificate from a registered health practitioner confirms that the person you care for requires full-time care at home. This is not the NASC care plan — it is a separate Work and Income medical certificate completed by the GP or specialist.

3. The person would otherwise need hospital or residential care. Work and Income assesses this based on the medical evidence. A parent who needs help with housework and companionship does not qualify. A parent with advanced dementia, severe mobility impairment, or complex medical needs who would otherwise be in a rest home typically does.

4. You are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, aged 16 or over, and are ordinarily resident in New Zealand.

5. Income and asset tests apply. Your partner's income (if you have one) is counted. Income above a threshold reduces the payment. Cash assets above $5,360 (single) or $8,940 (couple) may also affect eligibility.

How to Apply

Apply through Work and Income — either online via MyMSD, by phone (0800 559 009), or at your local Work and Income office. You will need:

• Your identification documents
• A completed medical certificate from your parent's GP or specialist, confirming the level of care required
• Proof of your income and assets (bank statements, payslips if working part-time)
• Your parent's care details — the NASC care plan is useful supporting evidence, though Work and Income conducts its own assessment

Processing typically takes two to four weeks. If approved, payments are backdated to the date of application.

Other Work and Income Benefits for Family Carers

The SLP is not the only support available. Depending on your and your parent's circumstances, you may also qualify for:

Disability Allowance — A weekly payment (up to $82.85 per week as at April 2026) to help cover ongoing costs related to your parent's disability or health condition. This covers things the HCSS care plan does not: private lawn-mowing, medical alarm monitoring fees, transport to appointments, continence products. The parent applies in their own name, and it is income-tested.

Carer Support Subsidy — An allocation of funded respite days (typically around 28 days per year) for primary carers. Each day reimburses approximately $82 toward the cost of replacement care — a trusted friend, neighbour, or private support worker who steps in while you take a break. Claims must be submitted to Health New Zealand within 90 days of the respite care.

Accommodation Supplement — If you are receiving SLP and paying rent or a mortgage, you may qualify for additional weekly assistance toward housing costs.

Temporary Additional Support — A weekly top-up if your essential costs (rent, power, medical expenses) exceed your income after receiving SLP. This is a last-resort safety net, reviewed every 13 weeks.

Tax Implications for Private Care Arrangements

If you use your Carer Support Subsidy to hire a private support worker (rather than using an HCSS agency), Inland Revenue classification rules apply:

• A support worker providing care outside their own home for 30 hours or less per week is classified as an IR56 private domestic worker. They are responsible for their own income tax and must register with the IRD.
• A support worker providing care for more than 30 hours per week triggers employer obligations. You must register as an employer with IRD, operate PAYE, and handle ACC earner levy deductions.

These rules do not apply if you hire through an HCSS agency — the agency handles all employment and tax obligations as the employer.

Combining Benefits With Funded Home Care

The SLP and your parent's NASC-funded home care hours operate independently. Receiving SLP does not reduce your parent's HCSS allocation, and the funded care hours do not count as your income.

The practical benefit of combining them: the HCSS care plan covers the clinical personal care hours (showering, medication management, safety monitoring), while SLP replaces enough of your lost income to make full-time caregiving financially survivable. Add the Carer Support Subsidy for regular respite breaks, and you have a sustainable structure rather than an open-ended sacrifice.

The Home and Community Support Services guide for New Zealand families maps all of these funding streams — NASC allocations, Carer Support claiming, Disability Allowance, and the full assessment process — into a single coordinated plan.

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