What do we know about the latest Financial Support - August 2021
1. COVID-19 Wage Subsidy August 2021
The Wage Subsidy - August 2021 is a payment to support employers, so they can continue to pay employees and protect jobs for businesses affected by the move to Alert Level 4 on 17 August 2021.
Applications open from 9am on Friday 20 August 2021, and will be open for two weeks.
You will be able to apply from the Work and Income’s website - Click Here
Who can apply for COVID-19 Wage Subsidy August 2021:
To get the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy August 2021 you must:
operate a business in New Zealand that employs and pay the employees named in your application, and
meet the revenue decline test set out in the declaration, and
meet the other eligibility criteria set out in the declaration.
The declaration lists all the eligibility criteria in full, and you need to agree to this when you apply. You must meet all these criteria to get the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy August 2021.
The declaration will be available on Work and Income’s website from 9am on Friday 20 August 2021.
Payment rates:
The Wage Subsidy August 2021 will cover a two week period at the rate of:
$600 a week for each full-time employee retained (20 hours a week or more)
$359 a week for each part-time employee retained (less than 20 hours a week).
NOTE: You can’t get a Wage Subsidy for an employee for the period they're covered by a Leave Support Scheme or Short-Term Absence Payment.
2. COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment (RSP)
The Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) is a payment to help support viable and ongoing businesses or organisations due to a COVID-19 alert level increase to level 2 or higher. If your business or organisation is facing a reduction in revenue due to an alert level increase, you may be eligible for the RSP. Once the RSP has been activated it will be available nationally, even if the alert level isn't increased across the whole country.
Applications for the alert level increase announced on 17 August will open at 8am on 24 August and will remain open for one month after all of New Zealand returns to alert level 1.
Who can apply for COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment (RSP)
A business or organisation must have experienced at least a 30% drop in revenue or a 30% decline in capital-raising ability over a 7-day period, due to the increased COVID-19 alert level (subject to all other criteria being met).
This decrease in revenue or capital-raising ability is compared with a typical 7-day revenue period in the 6 weeks prior to the increase from alert level 1.
Click here to read the Eligibility for the Resurgence Support Payment (RSP)
If you meet the eligibility criteria, click on the IRD Calculator below to check the RSP amount you may be entitled to.
Applying for the Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) - CLICK HERE
3. COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment
The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment is available for businesses, including self-employed people, to help pay their workers who cannot work from home while they wait for a COVID-19 test result.
There is a one-off $350 payment to employers to pay their workers who need to stay home while waiting on their Covid-19 test results or someone dependent on them is waiting for theirs following public health advice.
Click here for Payment rate and processing times for the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment
Click here for more information on this.
4. COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is available for employers, including self-employed people, to help pay their employees who need to self-isolate and can't work from home.
Payment rates:
The Leave Support Scheme is paid as a 2-week lump sum per eligible employee.
The Leave Support Scheme is paid at a flat rate of:
$585.80 a week for full-time workers who were working 20 hours or more a week
$350 a week for part-time workers who were working less than 20 hours a week.
Click here for more information on payment rates and processing times for COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
Click here for more information on COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme.