Cheat sheet: The cost of living payment millions are set to receive

Tuesday, 26 July 2022

Over 2 million people will be paid the first instalment of the Government’s cost of living payment next week as the country grapples with the increasing cost of living.

Koni atu i ngā tāngata e 2 miriona ka whāia te tuatahi o ā te Kāwanatanga pūtea utunga oranga hei te wiki e heke mai nei, i a tātou, te motu, e whaiwhai tonu ana i te pikinga o te utunga oranga.

As the cost of food, fuel and essential items rises, households are being stripped of spending power and are having to budget more strictly. Foodbanks are seeing more requests for help and swaths of people are leaving the country in search of higher pay and cheaper living costs.

I te pikinga o te utu mō te kai, te penehini, me ngā rawa waiwai, e whānakohia nei hoki te mana hokohoko o ngā kāinga, ā, e mate ana rātou ki te whakarite pū i te pūtea. Kei te whai tono āwhina ngā pātaka kai, me te aha anō, he tokomaha e wehe ana i te motu nei me te kōingo ka nui ake te whai pūtea, ka iti iho te utunga e ora ai.

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Announced as part of the 2022 Budget in May, the cost of living payment aims to provide short-term support to low and middle income earners amid the highest levels of inflation in 32 years.

I whakapuakina hei wāhanga o te Tahua 2022, i te Mei, ko tā te pūtea utunga oranga whāinga he tautoko taupua i ngā kaiwhai pūtea ā-tau hakahaka, o waenga hoki, i te ururuatanga o te tāmi ahupūtea kino rawa i ngā tau e 32 kua taha ake.

So who is eligible, and how much will you get?

Nā reira, e māraurau ana a wai, ā, he aha hoki te rahinga pūtea ka whāia e koe?

How do I know if I’m eligible?

The payment is designed to help out low and middle income earners. This means that you can receive the payment if you:

• Earnt less than $70,000 before tax between the April 1, 2021 and the March 31, 2022

• Are not entitled to receive the Winter Energy Payment

• Are at least 18 years old

• Are a New Zealand tax resident, and are currently present in New Zealand

• Are not in prison.

Ka pēhea au e mōhio mēnā rānei kua māraurau?

Kua whakahoahoa i te utunga kia āwhina i ngā kaiwhai pūtea hakahaka, o waenga hoki. Ko te tikanga ia, ka whāia te utunga nei mēnā:

• I iti iho i te $70,000, i mua i te tāke, tāu whai pūtea i waenga i te 1 o Āperira, 2021 me te 31 o Māehe, 2022

• E kore e māraurau ana koe kia whāia te Utunga Pūngao Hōtoke

• Kua kaumātua ake koe i ngā tau 18

• He kiriraru ā-tāke koe o Aotearoa, ā, kei Aotearoa koe i tēnei wā tonu

• Kāore koe e noho ana ki te whare herehere.

Inland Revenue (IR) checks that people are eligible before each monthly payment is made, so if your circumstances change between now and October your eligibility might change too, meaning you could receive some payments but not others.

Ka hihira Te Tari Tāke i tā te tangata māraurau ā mua i te hoatu pūtea i ia marama, nā reira, ki te panoni ō tūāhuatanga haere ake nei tae noa ki te Oketopa, ka panoni hoki pea tō māraurautanga, nā, ko te hua pea, ka whāia ētahi utunga e koe, engari kaua ētahi atu.

How much will I get?

All up, you’ll receive $350 over three instalments if you’re eligible for the full payment. Each instalment will be about $116, and the first one will be paid on Monday, August 1, 2022. The second and third payments will be on September 1 and October 3. The payment works out to provide an extra $27 per week over three months.

He aha te rahinga pūtea māku?

Tōpū katoa, ka whāia te $350 e koe puta noa i ngā utunga e toru mēnā koe e māraurau ana ki te utunga katoa. Hanga $116 te rahinga o ia utunga, ā, ka mātua utua hei ā Mane, te 1 o Ākuhata, 2022. Ka utua te tuarua me te tuatoru hei te 1 o Hepetema me te 3 o Oketopa. Ko te tikanga o ngā utunga kia hoatu i te $27 anō ia wiki, puta noa i ngā marama e toru.

How will it be paid to me?

The payments will go straight into your bank account, and will show up as ‘Living Costs’. Depending on your bank, you may receive it the day the payment is made, or shortly after.

Ka pēhea te utunga mai?

Ka tōtika ngā utunga ki tō pūkete pūtea, ā, ka kīia nei he ‘Utunga Oranga’ (Living Costs). Kei te āhua o tō whare pūtea, ka riro i a koe hei te rangi tonu, hei ā muri tata mai rānei.

Do I need to do anything to be paid the cost of living payment if I’m eligible?

In most cases, no. Inland Revenue already has people’s bank account details if they hold it for your income tax account. If you think that this might be wrong, you can update your details through the online system, myIR, or call them on 0800 257 777. There are about 168,000 people out there who IR does not have bank account details for, so it pays to check that your details are correct online.

If you do not want to receive the cost of living payment, you can opt out by giving IR a call.

Me mahi au i tētahi mea e whāia ai te pūtea utunga oranga mēnā au e māraurau ana?

I te nuinga o te wā, kāo. Kei Te Tari Tāke kē ngā taipitopito pūkete pūtea a te marea mō ngā kaupapa tāke whai pūtea. Mēnā koe e whakapae ana kua hē ēnei, e oti i a koe te whakahōu i ō taipitopito mā te pūnaha tuihono, mā myIR, mā te waea rānei ki 0800 257 777. Hanga 168,000 ngā tāngata i tēnei wā kāhore he taipitopito pūkete pūtea ki te Tari Tāke, nā reira e tika ana kia hihiratia te tika o ō taipitopito tuihono.

Mēnā koe e kore nei e hiahia ki te pūtea utunga oranga, e oti i a koe te whakakore mā te waea ki te Tari Tāke.

What if I think I’m eligible, but don’t get the payment?

IR determines your eligibility based on your income tax assessment or income tax return, so if you are self-employed and haven’t filed your tax return by August you might miss out on being paid straight away. You can still get the full cost of living payment if you meet the eligibility criteria and file your tax return by 31 March, 2023 – it just won’t be paid until after your tax return has been processed.

If this isn’t you, but you still think you’ve missed out on the payment, you should head to the IR website for more detailed information about eligibility.

Ka aha mēnā au e whakapae ana kua māraurau, engari kāore e whai pūtea?

Kei te āhua o tō whakamātaunga whainga pūtea tā te Tari Tāke whakatau i tō māraurautanga, nā reira, mēnā koe e whiwhi mahi ana i a koe anō, ā, kāore anō koe kia whakaoti i tō whakahokinga tāke ā mua i te Ākuhata, ka mahue pea i a koe te utunga tere. E oti tonu i a koe te whai i te pūtea katoa o te utunga oranga ina kua tutuki i a koe ngā paearu, mēnā hoki ka whakaotia tō whakahokinga tāke ā mua i te 31 o Māehe, 2023 – e kore e utua katoatia tae noa ki te otinga o tāu whakahokinga tāke i Te Tari Tāke.

Mēnā ehara tēnei i a koe, engari e whakapae ana kua mahue te utunga i a koe, me toro koe ki te pae tukutuku o Te Tari Tāke mō te roanga atu o ngā kōrero māraurautanga.

My partner earns over $70,000 – will I still get the payment?

Eligibility for the cost of living payment is based on an individual assessment, so it doesn’t matter what your partner or household’s income is.

Koni atu i te $70,000 te whainga pūtea a tōku hoa – ka riro tonu i ahau te utunga?

Kei te āhua o te tangata kotahi te māraurautanga o te pūtea utunga oranga, nā reira hei aha rā te rahinga pūtea a tō hoa, a tō whare rānei.

What if I turn 18 after the first payment?

IR checks eligibility before each monthly payment, so if you turn 18 in August or September 2022 and meet the other eligibility criteria you will receive the second and/or third payment.

Ka pēhea mēnā au ka 18 tau ā muri i te utunga tuatahi?

Ka hihiratia te māraurautanga e Te Tari Tāke ā mua i ia utunga, i ia marama, nā reira, mēnā koe ka 18 tau hei te Ākuhata, hei te Hepetema rānei o 2022, ka tutuki hoki i a koe ngā paearu māraurautanga anō, ka riro i a koe te utunga tuarua, tuatoru hoki/rānei.