This table outlines the New Zealand Government's planned social development spending for the 2024/25 budget year.
Actual spending for the previous five years is on the left.
The numbers are drawn together from the Vote Social Development.
Links to the primary sources used, from Treasury's website, can be found at the bottom of the page.
Please note that some of the allocation titles have been shortened for the sake of space. Figures for each allocation are in millions of NZ$.
| Actual 2019/20 | Actual 2020/21 | Actual 2021/22 | Actual 2022/23 | Estimate 2023/24 | Budget 2024/25 | % | |
| NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | ||
| 12,188.3 | 1,419.5 | 5,176.4 | 273.5 | 20.7 | Business & Worker Support Subsidy Covid-19 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | Extraordinary Care Fund | 2.3 | 0.0% |
| 67.5 | 57.0 | 20.8 | 17.0 | 17.5 | Corporate Support Services | 15.4 | 0.0% |
| 11.7 | 12.5 | 17.0 | 19.3 | 22.5 | Social Work Support | 18.3 | 0.0% |
| 30.4 | 32.8 | 33.6 | 38.3 | 83.6 | Extra, Historic and Special Circumstance Payments | 68.4 | 0.2% |
| 61.2 | 64.4 | 56.1 | 61.2 | 66.5 | SuperGold Cards & Senior Support | 71.8 | 0.2% |
| 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 52.3 | 69.7 | Place-Based Initiatives | 93.8 | 0.2% |
| 64.2 | 73.2 | 79.3 | 85.1 | 93.4 | Youth Payments and Support | 99.5 | 0.2% |
| 145.4 | 139.3 | 134.5 | 132.0 | 131.5 | Veterans’ Pension | 128.8 | 0.3% |
| 143.8 | 145.2 | 131.9 | 138.6 | 167.8 | Childcare Assistance | 196.5 | 0.4% |
| 316.4 | 349.1 | 328.4 | 376.3 | 307.5 | Recoverable Assistance | 344.9 | 0.8% |
| 270.6 | 92.4 | 273.6 | 316.7 | 406.4 | Administration & Policy Advice | 377.2 | 0.8% |
| 277.5 | 326.8 | 348.6 | 386.0 | 419.2 | Programs and Support for Children | 431.8 | 0.9% |
| 247.3 | 387.1 | 588.5 | 549.4 | 544.1 | Community Support & Services | 451.0 | 1.0% |
| 668.6 | 811.6 | 513.2 | 518.9 | 535.5 | Winter Energy Payment | 554.8 | 1.2% |
| 418.4 | 478.7 | 497.1 | 673.4 | 670.6 | Hardship Assistance | 751.4 | 1.6% |
| 749.9 | 987.5 | 1,272.2 | 1,297.6 | 1,298.3 | Improved Employment and Social Outcomes Support | 1,140.0 | 2.5% |
| 1,230.9 | 1,455.2 | 1,703.7 | 1,916.5 | 2,093.9 | Sole Parent Support | 2,244.5 | 4.9% |
| 2,127.7 | 2,367.2 | 2,288.8 | 2,109.4 | 2,167.9 | Student loans, Scholarships and Support | 2,436.9 | 5.3% |
| 1,650.5 | 1,825.7 | 2,047.4 | 2,310.8 | 2,528.1 | Supported Living Payment | 2,661.1 | 5.8% |
| 1,980.3 | 2,390.7 | 2,471.1 | 2,468.4 | 2,637.7 | Housing Services and Support | 2,745.5 | 6.0% |
| 401.0 | 415.7 | 423.9 | 2,491.6 | 2,831.4 | Disability Assistance | 3,091.2 | 6.8% |
| 2,285.7 | 3,223.6 | 3,329.7 | 3,472.6 | 4,048.2 | Jobseeker Support and Emergency Benefit | 4,435.0 | 9.7% |
| 15,521.5 | 16,568.7 | 17,764.0 | 19,517.0 | 21,566.9 | New Zealand Superannuation | 23,193.9 | 50.9% |
| 40,865 | 33,626 | 39,502 | 39,224 | 42,731 | Total Spending | 45,554 | 100% |
| Less: Recoveries | |||||||
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Interest Revenue | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.6 | 0.5 | -0.1 | -0.3 | 0.0 | Benefit Recoveries - Liable Parent Contributions | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | -16.3 | 0.5 | Maintenance Capitalisation | 0.5 | 0.0% |
| 1.3 | 0.6 | -0.1 | -1.5 | 0.5 | Income Related Rent Underpayment Recoveries | 0.2 | 0.0% |
| 8.5 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 7.1 | Student Loan - Administration Fee | 7.2 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 14.0 | 22.6 | 18.2 | 20.4 | Programme Recoveries | 19.9 | 0.0% |
| 101.7 | 132.5 | 113.0 | 98.0 | 101.7 | Student Loans - Repayment of Principal | 110.5 | 0.2% |
| 94.0 | 95.0 | 99.9 | 101.7 | 107.8 | Benefit Recoveries - Non-Current Debt | 112.0 | 0.3% |
| 332.8 | 338.5 | 360.7 | 379.5 | 410.9 | Overseas Pension Recoveries | 412.0 | 0.9% |
| 279.9 | 309.9 | 346.3 | 382.8 | 411.7 | Benefit Recoveries - Current Debt | 431.4 | 1.0% |
| 818.9 | 900.0 | 950.2 | 969.2 | 1,060.6 | Total Recoveries | 1,093.6 | 2.5% |
| 40,046 | 32,726 | 38,552 | 38,254 | 41,671 | Net Social Welfare | 44,460 | 100% |
You can get back to the main page that summarises all government spending here >>
Sources: You can download the data behind these tables from the NZ Government website here.
2 Comments
Super makes up roughly 50% of social development spending.
The age of entitlement for super needs to be tied to life expectancy and moved with it. It can stay at 65 for those medically unable to work (possibly means tested on any taxable income, e.g. interest)
Keeping NZ super at 65 is yet again another example of the intergenerational theft by the boomers from younger generations.
Typical. As usual attack the Boomers.
Retirement age was originally 60 years. I still reckon on balance this age is relevant to retirement.
If the Politicians had kept their fingers out of the total tax grab over the years the system would work.
Kiwi Saver should be organised on a proper Superannuation funds basis and left alone by Politicians
NB Case in point look at a Politicians Pension. when they retire from Parliament after nine years
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