Additional Financial Support Announced

Following on from Monday's announcement that Auckland are remaining in Alert Level 4, for at least another week, the government have released a third round of Wage Subsidy Scheme payment and second round of Resurgence Support Payment for eligible businesses.

Wage Subsidy Scheme 

The Wage Subsidy Scheme is available to all businesses while any part of the country is in Alert Levels 3 or 4. For example, while Auckland is in Alert Levels 3 or 4, businesses in Auckland and other parts of the country can apply for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.

You can apply for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme to help keep paying your staff and protect jobs. 

Businesses must meet the eligibility criteria to apply: 

• Businesses and self-employed people must expect a 40% drop in revenue to be eligible to receive the wage subsidy. 

The wage subsidy is paid in a 2 week lump sum. You can get:

• $600 per week for each full-time employee
• $359 per week for each part-time employee

You cannot get the Wage Subsidy August 2021, Leave Support Scheme and Short-Term Absence Payment for the same employee at the same time.

Applications for the third round open 9am, Friday 17 September 2021.

Applications for the second round of the Wage Subsidy Scheme will close at 11:59pm on Thursday 16 September 2021.

Resurgence Support Payment

The COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment helps to cover wages and fixed costs for businesses who have been directly affected when there is an increase to Alert Level 2 or higher for a week or more.  

To be eligible, your business 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 an increase in Alert Levels.

• You can receive $1,500 per business plus $400 per full-time employee (FTE), up to 50 FTE.
• The maximum payment is $21,500.
• If you're a sole trader, you can receive a payment of up to $1,900.

Businesses anywhere in New Zealand can apply if they meet the eligibility criteria.

You can apply for both the COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment and the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme if you meet all the eligible criteria.

A second round of the Resurgence Support Payment will open for applications on Friday 17 September 2021.

You can apply if you have already received a payment. The payment and eligibility criteria are the same as the current scheme.

For more information on the Wage Subsidy or any other support available to you contact the team here.