Financial support is available to businesses, employers and self-employed workers. The type of support you can get depends on the circumstances. The following support payments are all available through Work and Income.
COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment
The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment is available to employers for employees, and self-employed workers, who:
- need to miss work to stay at home while waiting on a COVID-19 test result, and
- cannot work from home.
Parents and caregivers who need to miss work to support their dependents awaiting a test result are also eligible.
Work and Income - COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is available to employers for employees, and self-employed workers, who:
- have been told to self-isolate by a doctor or health official, and
- cannot work from home.
Parents and caregivers who need to miss work to support their dependents who have been told to self-isolate are also eligible.
Work and Income - COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
COVID-19 Wage Subsidy
The COVID-19 Wage Subsidy is only available if there is an escalation to Alert Levels 3 or 4 anywhere in New Zealand for 7 days or more. The subsidy is available to businesses, employers and self-employed workers who have experienced a decline in revenue due to the restrictions of Alert Levels 3 and 4.
Work and Income – COVID-19 Wage Subsidy
COVID-19 Wage subsidy - Issues for employers
Resurgence Support Payment
A Resurgence Support Payment will also be available for eligible businesses throughout New Zealand, if there's a move to Alert Level 2 or above for 7 or more consecutive days. This one-off payment is to help businesses affected by the Alert Level upgrade with fixed costs.
