In accordance with section 453(5) of the Social Security Act 2018, clause 5 applies to benefits (as defined in that Act) payable on and after the commencement date.

(2)

In accordance with section 15(6) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001, clause 6 applies to New Zealand superannuation payable on and after the commencement date.

(3)

In accordance with section 452(4) of the Social Security Act 2018, clause 7 applies to benefits, allowances, and entitlements payable on and after the commencement date.

5 Mandatory adjustments under section 453 of Social Security Act 2018

In each provision of the Social Security Act 2018 listed in the first column of Part 1 of Schedule 1 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the third column.

6 Mandatory adjustments under sections 15 and 16 of New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001

In each provision of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 listed in the first column of Part 2 of Schedule 1 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the third column.

7 Discretionary increases under section 452 of Social Security Act 2018

(1)

In each provision of the Social Security Act 2018 listed in the first column of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the third column.

(2)

In the provision of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 listed in the first column of Part 2 of Schedule 2 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the third column.

(3)

In the provision of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 listed in the first column of Part 3 of Schedule 2 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the third column.

8 Revocation

The Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2025 (SL 2025/9) is revoked.

Schedule 1 Mandatory adjustments

cls 5, 6

Part 1 CPI adjustments to social security benefits and allowances

Provision amended	Old amount ($)	New amount ($)
Schedule 4, Part 1 (Jobseeker support)
Clause 1(a)	268.13	276.46
Clause 1(b)	314.72	324.50
Clause 1(c)	372.93	384.52
Clause 1(d)	361.32	372.55
Clause 1(e)	505.80	521.52
Clause 1(f)	505.80	521.52
Clause 1(g)(i)	307.42	316.97
Clause 1(g)(ii)	324.61	334.70
Clause 1(h)(i)	307.42	316.97
Clause 1(h)(ii)	324.61	334.70
Clause 1(j)(i)	614.84	633.94
Clause 1(j)(ii)	649.22	669.40
Clause 2	307.42	316.97
Clause 3(i)	307.42	316.97
Clause 3(ii)	324.61	334.70
Schedule 4, Part 2 (Sole parent support)
Clause 1	505.80	521.52
Schedule 4, Part 3 (Supported living payment)
Clause 1(a)	345.14	355.87
Clause 1(b)	411.80	424.60
Clause 1(c)	564.42	581.96
Clause 1(d)(i)	349.85	360.72
Clause 1(d)(ii)	367.06	378.47
Clause 1(e)(i)	349.85	360.72
Clause 1(e)(ii)	381.10	392.94
Clause 1(g)(i)	699.70	721.44
Clause 1(g)(ii)	734.12	756.94
Clause 1(h)(i)	349.85	360.72
Clause 1(h)(ii)	381.10	392.94
Clause 2	564.35	581.89
Clause 2	73.05	75.32
Clause 7(a)	349.85	360.72
Clause 7(b)	381.10	392.94
Schedule 4, Part 4 (Orphan’s benefit)
Clause 1(a)	340.01	350.58
Clause 1(b)	317.30	327.16
Clause 1(c)	294.47	303.62
Clause 1(d)	292.44	301.53
Schedule 4, Part 5 (Unsupported child’s benefit)
Clause 1(a)	340.01	350.58
Clause 1(b)	317.30	327.16
Clause 1(c)	294.47	303.62
Clause 1(d)	292.44	301.53
Schedule 4, Part 6 (Rates and component of youth payment and young parent payment, and criteria for incentive payments)
Clause 1	314.72	324.50
Clause 2	291.79	300.86
Clause 3	505.80	521.52
Clause 4	307.42	316.97
Clause 5(a)	324.61	334.70
Clause 5(b)	324.61	334.70
Schedule 4, Part 10 (Rates of generally abolished former widows’ benefits under section 21 of Social Security Act 1964 as saved by clause 55 of Schedule 1 of Social Security Act 2018 for reciprocity agreement applicants or recipients)
Clause 1	505.80	521.52
Clause 2	372.93	384.52
Schedule 4, Part 11 (Rates of generally abolished former DPB for solo parents under section 27B of Social Security Act 1964 as saved by clause 55 of Schedule 1 of Social Security Act 2018 for reciprocity agreement applicants or recipients)
Clause 1	505.80	521.52
Clause 2	372.93	384.52
Schedule 4, Part 12 (Rates of benefits payable to long-term hospital patients)
Clause 1	56.58	58.34

Part 2 CPI adjustments to superannuation entitlements

Provision amended	Old amount ($)	New amount ($)
Schedule 1, Part 1 (Rates generally)
Clause 1(a)	627.14	647.37
Clause 1(b)	576.80	595.57
Clause 1(c)	476.47	492.14
Schedule 1, Part 2 (Rates saved by Schedule 1AA)
Clause 1(b)	903.42	933.16

Schedule 2 Discretionary increases under section 452 of Social Security Act 2018

cl 7

Part 1 Increases to other social security benefits and allowances, and to asset and income limits

Provision amended	Old amount ($)	New amount ($)
Schedule 4, Part 6 (Rates and component of youth payment and young parent payment, and criteria for incentive payments)
Clause 11	276.11	284.70
	326.11	334.70
Clause 11B	276.11	284.70
Clause 12	276.11	284.70
	376.11	384.70
Clause 12A	276.11	284.70
Clause 12B	276.11	284.70
Schedule 4, Part 9 (Child disability allowance and disability allowance)
Clause 1	60.55	62.43
Clause 2	80.35	82.85
Clause 3	50.11	51.67
Schedule 5, Part 1 (Asset limits)
Clause 1	1,368.68	1,411.22
Clause 2	2,280.58	2,351.46
Clause 3	1,797.14	1,853.00
Clause 4	1,930.47	1,990.47
Schedule 5, Part 2 (Income limits)
Clause 5	625.16	644.59
Clause 6	718.48	740.81
Clause 7	1,043.60	1,076.04
Clause 8	871.86	898.96
Clause 9	918.54	947.09
Schedule 5, Part 3 (Disability allowance income limits)
Clause 10	675.60	696.60
Clause 11	843.78	870.00
Clause 12	1,256.07	1,295.11
Clause 13	942.23	971.51
Clause 14	992.74	1,023.59

Part 2 Increase to superannuation entitlements

Provision amended		Old amount ($)		New amount ($)
Schedule 1, Part 2 (Rates saved by Schedule 1AA)
Clause 1(a)		952.94		984.28

Part 3 Discretionary increase relating to clause 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001

Provision amended		Old amount ($)		New amount ($)
Schedule 1, Part 1 (Rates generally)
Clause 3		56.58		58.34

Rachel Hayward,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the order but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This order, which comes into force on 1 April 2026, increases a range of benefits, allowances, asset limits, superannuation entitlements, etc, that are payable on and after that date. The increases reflect both mandatory adjustments and discretionary increases.

Where an annual consumers price index (CPI) increase is required, it reflects the increase of 3.11% in the New Zealand Consumers Price Index from the December 2024 quarter to the December 2025 quarter (calculated for all quarters using the New Zealand Consumers Price Index (All Groups)).

Annual CPI increases are required under section 453 of the Social Security Act 2018 for the following benefits:

jobseeker support:
sole parent support:
supported living payment:
orphan’s benefit:
unsupported child’s benefit:
youth payment and young parent payment:
former widows’ benefit:
former domestic purposes benefit:
long-term hospital patient benefit.

Those increases are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1.

Annual CPI increases are also required, under section 15 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001, for superannuation entitlements. Those increases are set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1. While the increases may sometimes be more than the CPI increases to meet the requirements in sections 15(3) and 16 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 (that the increases maintain a specified relationship to the net average wage and also maintain the proportional relationship of specified rates), no further increases are required this year to meet those requirements.

The discretionary increases made under section 452 of the Social Security Act 2018 are in respect of—

certain rates of benefits payable to beneficiaries set out in Parts 6 and 9 of Schedule 4 of the Social Security Act 2018:
the various asset and income limits that are set out in Schedule 5 of the Social Security Act 2018 for receiving certain benefits and grants:
certain rates payable to superannuitants set out in Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001.

Those increases are set out in Schedule 2.

The CPI increase has been rounded to 2 decimal places for the purposes of this Explanatory note. However, increases to benefits and entitlements have been calculated on the basis of unrounded figures.

This order must be confirmed by an Act before the close of 30 June 2027. If it is not confirmed, it will be revoked on the close of that date. See subpart 3 of Part 5 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2019.

Date of notification in Gazette: 5 March 2026.

This order is administered by the Ministry of Social Development.

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Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2026