This table outlines the New Zealand Government's planned social welfare spending for the 2019/20 budget year.
Actual spending for the previous four years is on the left.
The numbers are drawn together from the Vote Social Development and Vote Social Housing. (Updated with the Accommodation Supplement separated out.)
Links to the primary sources used, from Treasury's website, can be found at the bottom of the page.
Figures for each allocation are in millions of NZ$.
| Actual 2014/2015 | Actual 2015/2016 | Actual 2016/2017 | Actual 2017/2018 | Actual 2018/2019 | Estimate 2019/2020 | % | |
| NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | ||
| 0.0 | 0.1 | Administering Support for the Mental Health and Employment Social Bond Pilot | 0.1 | 0.00 | |||
| 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.2 | Mental Health and Employment Social Bond Pilot | 0.6 | 0.00 | ||
| 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | Processing of Veterans’ Pensions | 0.7 | 0.00 |
| 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | Family Start/NGO Awards | 0.7 | 0.00 |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | Transitional Assistance | 0.8 | 0.00 | |
| Independent Monitoring and Assurance of the Oranga Tamariki System | 1.0 | 0.00 | |||||
| 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | Place-based Initiatives - Tairawhiti Local Leadership | 1.0 | 0.00 | ||
| 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | Promoting Positive Outcomes for Seniors | 1.0 | 0.00 |
| Implementation and Operation of the Mandatory Registration of Social Workers | 1.3 | 0.00 | |||||
| 1.1 | Place-Based Initiatives - South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board | 2.2 | 0.01 | ||||
| 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.3 | Extraordinary Care Fund | 2.3 | 0.01 |
| 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.3 | Work Assistance | 2.6 | 0.01 |
| 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.2 | Children's Commissioner | 3.2 | 0.01 |
| 0.2 | Enhancement and Promotion of SuperGold Cards | 3.2 | 0.01 | ||||
| 2.6 | Reimbursement of Income Related Rent Overpayments | 3.4 | 0.01 | ||||
| 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | Student Placement Services | 3.5 | 0.01 |
| 1.2 | Establishment of Independent Monitor of the Oranga Tamariki System | 5.7 | 0.02 | ||||
| 3.5 | Administration of Service Cards | 5.7 | 0.02 | ||||
| 5.4 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 6.2 | Planning, Correspondence and Monitoring | 6.0 | 0.02 |
| 8.5 | 5.7 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.4 | Promoting Positive Outcomes for Disabled People | 6.1 | 0.02 |
| 0.3 | 2.0 | Housing Support Package | 6.7 | 0.02 | |||
| 1.8 | 5.7 | 9.7 | Claims Resolution | 7.8 | 0.03 | ||
| 6.3 | 9.7 | Supporting Equitable Pay for Care and Support Workers | 11.0 | 0.04 | |||
| 11.9 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 10.9 | Special Circumstance Assistance | 11.3 | 0.04 |
| 10.3 | 10.3 | 11.3 | Partnering for Youth Development | 12.0 | 0.04 | ||
| 20.4 | 19.8 | 13.8 | 15.7 | Policy Advice | 14.6 | 0.05 | |
| 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 16.5 | 17.4 | Management of Student Loans | 18.8 | 0.07 |
| 16.7 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 16.5 | 16.8 | Management of Student Support | 18.9 | 0.07 |
| 18.2 | 18.1 | 17.8 | 19.0 | 19.5 | Out of School Care and Recreation Programmes | 19.5 | 0.07 |
| 11.8 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 12.9 | 19.2 | Study Scholarships and Awards | 20.7 | 0.07 |
| 11.2 | 11.7 | 12.5 | 18.4 | Data, Analytics and Evidence Services | 23.6 | 0.08 | |
| Historic Claims | 27.3 | 0.10 | |||||
| 20.4 | 26.2 | Services to Support People to Access Accommodation | 36.4 | 0.13 | |||
| 49.2 | 48.1 | 46.6 | 49.0 | Investigation of Overpayments and Fraudulent Payments and Collection of Overpayments | 51.6 | 0.19 | |
| 41.6 | 41.1 | 46.2 | 55.1 | 52.2 | Youth Payment and Young Parent Payment | 54.3 | 0.20 |
| 36.6 | 36.8 | 43.2 | 46.4 | 49.3 | Income Support and Assistance to Seniors | 58.0 | 0.21 |
| 25.0 | 86.6 | 73.0 | Corporate Support Services | 75.0 | 0.27 | ||
| 90.9 | 112.3 | 84.4 | 86.1 | 115.8 | Ministry of Social Development - Capital Expenditure | 75.6 | 0.27 |
| 59.7 | - 0.7 | 68.1 | 72.6 | 83.1 | Debt Write-downs | 78.3 | 0.28 |
| 75.1 | 81.8 | 80.6 | 80.9 | Community Participation Services | 82.6 | 0.30 | |
| 93.9 | 105.0 | Community Support Services | 135.6 | 0.49 | |||
| 177.5 | 185.8 | 175.0 | 162.9 | 153.5 | Veterans’ Pension | 145.0 | 0.52 |
| 183.1 | 182.1 | 198.6 | 196.1 | 180.7 | Childcare Assistance | 168.4 | 0.61 |
| 132.0 | 142.9 | 152.1 | 165.0 | 225.0 | Orphan's/Unsupported Child's Benefit | 247.4 | 0.89 |
| 141.0 | 152.3 | 184.9 | 207.3 | 272.1 | Recoverable Assistance | 319.3 | 1.15 |
| 276.9 | 289.6 | 352.5 | 354.7 | 298.7 | Hardship Assistance | 345.8 | 1.24 |
| 377.0 | 376.9 | 377.0 | 379.3 | 385.6 | Disability Assistance | 390.7 | 1.40 |
| 441.1 | Winter Energy Payment | 457.6 | 1.64 | ||||
| 511.1 | 485.7 | 464.9 | 510.8 | 582.5 | Student Allowances | 585.2 | 2.10 |
| 643.1 | 660.4 | 658.6 | 655.1 | 700.8 | Improved Employment and Social Outcomes Support | 764.5 | 2.75 |
| 1,186.5 | 1,153.0 | 1,158.6 | 1,116.7 | 1,116.1 | Sole Parent Support | 1,174.9 | 4.22 |
| 1,616.9 | 1,610.3 | 1,572.6 | 1,424.9 | 1,465.4 | Student Loans | 1,475.4 | 5.30 |
| 1,514.6 | 1,523.0 | 1,532.6 | 1,540.6 | 1,555.5 | Supported Living Payment | 1,589.4 | 5.71 |
| 1,128.9 | 1,163.7 | 1,127.0 | 1,203.5 | 1,640.7 | Accommodation Assistance | 1,810.5 | 6.51 |
| 1,683.9 | 1,671.3 | 1,697.0 | 1,697.3 | 1,853.8 | Jobseeker Support and Emergency Benefit | 1,975.9 | 7.10 |
| 11,591.0 | 12,266.8 | 13,043.3 | 13,698.7 | 14,561.7 | New Zealand Superannuation | 15,488.1 | 55.66 |
| 23,221.3 | 23,978.9 | 24,861.5 | 25,088.5 | 26,586.9 | Grand Total | 27,828.6 | 100.00 |
Note that some welfare and benefits are delivered through the tax system, and the costs of those items are set out here >>
You can get back to the main page that summarises all government spending here >>
Sources:
Social Development: https://treasury.govt.nz/publications/ise/budget-2019-data-estimates-ap…
2 Comments
Useful table. I'm dependant on Super and therefore generally in favour of it. But seeing it increasing by 6.4% pa while inflation is under 2% we need to restart the debate about getting it under control. Adding in the winter supplement and it was a 9.5% increase.
Surely it is worth reconsidering the entitlement date - subtract 15 years from average life expectancy. Currently 81.6 years so start super at the age of 66.5.
I can see why younger commentators grumble about migrants getting it without having made a partial contribution as part of their residency approval.
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