To get Working for Families, you must:
- have a dependent child or children in your care under the age of 18, or between 18 and 19 and still at school or in tertiary study
- be the principal caregiver
- be aged 16 or older
- meet the residency requirements. These are listed further down the page.
You are entitled to payments up until a child turns 18. If the child is still at school or in tertiary study when they turn 18, you can get payments until 31 December of that year.
Estimate your Working for Families payments
You can use our Working for Families calculator or chart to work out the amount you could get.
Working for Families calculator
The calculator uses the family details you provide to work out which tax credits you may qualify for and an estimate of how much you could receive.
Use this calculator to estimate how much your payments could be.
Go to this toolResidency requirements
You'll need to meet either of these residency requirements to get Working for Families.
- You must be a New Zealand resident and tax resident.
- The child you're claiming for must be a New Zealand resident and present in New Zealand.
If you are a new or returning resident, and currently have a temporary tax exemption on foreign sourced income, you will need to choose between receiving Working for Families payments or retaining your temporary tax exemption. Applying for Working for Families will be treated as opting out of your temporary tax exemption.
Children born before 1 January 2006
Children born in New Zealand up to 31 December 2005 are considered New Zealand residents. If you apply for Working for Families for these children, you will qualify from their dates of birth.
Children born on or after 1 January 2006
Children born in New Zealand on or after 1 January 2006 will qualify as New Zealand residents if at least one of the parents meets one of the following conditions.
- The parent is a New Zealand citizen.
- The parent has permanent residency.
- The parent is entitled to reside indefinitely in the Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue.
Australian citizens and residents qualify immediately if they are also a New Zealand tax resident and normally live in New Zealand.
If you or your child are in New Zealand unlawfully, or hold only a temporary permit or visa, you are not entitled to receive Working for Families payments.
Working for Families chart
Our chart gives you an idea of the amount you could get. It's useful if you have a pay rise or your hours of work have dropped.
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