Check your information
If you're paid Working for Families weekly or fortnightly, we'll send you a notice each year telling you how much we'll pay you for the coming year. If anything is wrong in the notice, you'll need to let us know. You can update your details in myIR or call us.
If you do not tell us about changes as they happen, your weekly or fortnightly payments may:
- reduce
- stop
- become overpayments that you'll need to pay back at the end of the year.
The sooner you tell us about a change in your details, the better.
Working for Families and Best Start - contact us
Tell us about changes
You need to tell us when:
- your family income changes
- either parent's hours of work change
- children come into or leave your care
- shared care arrangements change
- your child starts or stops receiving a benefit
- your child works 30 or more hours a week
- your child is still at school after turning 18
- your relationship status changes
- you or a family member moves to another country
- any private child support payments you pay or receive change.
- your name or contact details change
- you want your payments to go to a different bank account.
If you're stopping or starting a benefit, Work and Income will send your details to us. You do not need to do anything to continue receiving payments. You still need to tell us about any other changes.
If your family income changes during the year
You'll need to let us know if your family income changes. When you tell us your new income amount, make sure you include income you:
- have already earned
- you expect to earn up to 31 March.
Working out your family income
Your annual family income includes any of the following:
- salary and wages
- ACC
- benefit income
- NZ Superannuation
- student allowance
- business income
- child support you pay or receive either through us or in a private agreement.
Starting a business
If you are starting a business and think your income will change in the current tax year you need to let us know.
You can do one of the following:
- Get a letter from your accountant or ask them to send us a web message telling us what your estimated income will be.
- Estimate your income and expenses for the coming year yourself.
To help you work out what your income will be for the year you can use your own 12-month cashflow statement or ours.
John works 40 hours a week
John normally works 40 hours a week and earns $20 an hour.
$20 × 40 hours = $800 before tax income
$800 ÷ 7 days = $114 a day
$114 × 365 = $41,610 annual income
John gets a bonus during the year of $1,500
$41,610 + $1,500 = $43,110
John estimates his income for Working for Families payments will be $43,110
Ross and Kelly have an income increase
Ross is paid $50,000 a year. On 1 December Kelly gets a part-time job working 8 hours a week on $19.00 per hour. Her employer tells her there will be overtime available. Kelly works out her income estimate based on 10 hours a week to make sure overtime is included.
At the start of the year, Ross and Kelly estimated their family income at $50,000. Now that Kelly has a job they will estimate again.
Kelly's estimated earnings up until 31 March.
$19 × 10 hours = $190 a week before tax income.
$190 × 17 weeks = $3,230
$50,000 + $3,230 = $53,230
$53,230 is Ross and Kelly's new income estimate.
Kelly logs in to myIR and updates her family income details from 1 December.
