Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Bill
This bill makes two changes to welfare payments. First, young people aged 18 and 19 (and some 16 and 17 year olds) who apply for jobseeker support — the main benefit for people looking for work — will now need to pass a parental income test. This means their parents' income will be checked, and if parents earn above a certain amount, the young person won't qualify. Second, some homeowners who receive accommodation supplement — a payment that helps cover housing costs — will have to spend a higher share of their own income on housing before they can get that payment.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it, and the parts of the text that show it.
Young people aged 18–19 applying for the jobseeker benefit will need to show their parents don't earn too much before they can get it.
a young person cannot reasonably be expected to rely on their parent(s) for financial support
That change will reinforce the expectation that young people who are not in employment, education, or training should be financially supported by their parents, instead of relying on the welfare system
A specified young person (A) who is subject to the parental income requirement meets that requirement only if A has 1 applicable parent whose parental income for the calculation year is not more than the parental income limit
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Social Services and Community Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 9 June 2026.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.