- Hon Grant Robertson
- Hon Carmel Sepuloni
Businesses and self-employed people significantly affected by the recent move to Alert Level 4 can now apply for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy August 2021.
New Zealand moved to Alert Level 4 at 11.59pm on 17 August, initially for three days, except for Auckland and the Coromandel peninsula, where the Government indicated it is likely to be at Level 4 for seven days as a result of a case in the community in Auckland. Cabinet has now agreed that the whole country will stay in Alert Level 4 for seven days.
"The Government has reactivated a number of business support measures to give certainty to businesses and workers and support jobs at this challenging time," Grant Robertson said.
"The Wage Subsidy August 2021 scheme is now open for online applications through MSD. It's available to any business in New Zealand that meets the criteria. You can apply to contribute to the wages of your employees, or yourself, if you are self-employed, over the next two-week period. By 2pm today more than 47,000 businesses and sole traders had applied for the subsidy.
"To qualify, your business must experience, or expect to experience, at least a 40 percent decline in revenue as a result of the move to Alert Level 4, as well as other eligibility criteria that businesses will be familiar with from last year.
"We've increased the Wage Subsidy rates to reflect wage cost increases - $600 a week for each full-time worker (20 hours a week or more) and $359 a week for part-time workers retained."
"We are encouraging employers and those self-employed to ensure the accuracy of the information they provide, as that will delay processing if it isn't correct," Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni said.
"We've also got the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme, which is available to help businesses pay workers who have been told to self-isolate and can't work from home. The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment is also available if your workers have to stay at home while waiting for a COVID-19 test result and can't work from home.
"The rates for these two payments will be increased in line with the Wage Subsidy increase from Tuesday, 24 August.
"It's important to note that you can only receive one of these three COVID-19 payments from MSD for the named person on the application for the same time period.
"Businesses and self-employed people will also be able to get support with business costs like rent or fixed costs through the Resurgence Support Payment, administered by Inland Revenue, which opens on 24 August and can be accessed through the Inland Revenue website," Carmel Sepuloni said.
Businesses can apply for the Resurgence Support Payment at the same time as the Wage Subsidy Scheme.
For more information on COVID-19 business support measures, including full eligibility criteria:
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/index.html
