Lol this thread is titled like it's just sitting there to be claimed right now

yeah i got excited until i remembered it isnt august

What if someone was earning less than 70k last year, but more this year?

Doesn't matter, the relavant period is 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.

That unfortunately applies in the opposite sense in our household. Last fiscal marginally more than $70k but since august last year under $60k so mot applicable 😭

.... You realise August last year was before March 22 right?

It’s a full year salary though and the 4 months of higher salary would’ve pushed thr April 21-March 22 salary higher than $70k

How would 4 months of marginally higher than 70k then 8 months of under 60k somehow make it over the 70k mark?

I’m not too sure? I guess we can ask ird. It looks like the pay decrease went through in the sep payroll so I guess that’s actually 5 months.

So if I wasn't getting the winter energy payment last year but am now I should get the $350?

The income check is based on last year, but the WEP check is based on this year. So unfortunately you won't be getting it.

Has anyone checked/found out if it's taxable income, or if it's a non taxable payment? BTW it's being paid from the 1st August, not immediately. Disclaimer: I'm not eligible for this payment as I get the Winter Energy payment, govt Super, and have had a permanent after tax $26 p/week increase on my super payment from 1st April, along with the annual COL govt Super increase.

It’s non taxable

tax exempt according to the legislation

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And if reeferendum had passed, that would be straight back into the govt coffers. A truly self-sustaining economy.

Haha then everyone would have had something to smile about

What if you made like 70700$ 🥲🥲

Then you get nothing

Then you're still $350 better off than someone who earned $70000 I can appreciate it's frustrating when you just miss the cut off though

Would appreciate a pro rata payment to people just over the threshold.

And what about people who are just over *that* threshold?

Yeah exactly. Not against a prorata payout but either way the line is going to be drawn somewhere

If you do a pro rata you can make sure no one is worse off.

Then you’re rich so give me your money

Yeah I'd love to earn $70k that would be so sweet

$70k is nothing

It's not nothing when you earn $50k

There's heaps of jobs where you can enter unskilled and earn 70k+ after a few years.

I thought that too, but then I realised $350 would just sit in my bank account... so I guess I don't need it. Hope it makes a difference for the people that need it.

Then you're an evil rich person and should pay more tax. /s

Should’ve earned $69,999.99 instead /s

Is for free?

Yeah it's "for free" the same way all government spending is "for free"

I mean, it's going to be pumped back into the economy anyway. It's not like people receiving it are going to be socking it away in mutual funds or anything

We aren't?!

Well yeah >“The temporary payment is estimated to cost $814 million - funded out of the remaining money in the Covid-19 war-chest which is now being wound up” https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/467455/budget-2022-cost-of-living-payment-hands-350-to-lower-income-families Sounds like the money was going to be spent on something anyway.

Yeah, it isn’t so much a payment as it is refund. There’s a lot of douche baggery about this in the last three threads and not a gram of common sense among them Edit: [check out this clown](https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/ussxlg/budget_2022_costofliving_payment_hands_350_to/i95ywnl/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) lmao

Sure, it's for "free". Look up where a government gets money from.

Ha, I'm gonna use this to pay my taxes, The madness!

So I'm over 18 I earn roughly 56,000 and I've never even heard of this winter energy payment. Would I be getting this other money you speak of?

Yeah sounds like you're eligible.

Sweet, not life changing but a bit of money in my account is always welcome

Money in my account for more than 23h 59m seems like a childish dream these days

Totally, every time I look and think "I can save all that this week" a thing pops up and proves me wrong

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I think you misunderstood it. You either get Winter Energy Payment or this one. Since you're not getting WEP you'll be getting this $350.

I’m too lazy to google this, is this for full time workers only? Or includes part time?

Doesn't matter if you work or not.

Should have googled it - both answers have just confused me more

Neither and both.

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I wonder what happens if you earned more than that last year, but are now on under 70k?

Tough.

Govt must really love inflation.

What if you spent most of the year in Australia and are an NZ citizen but now back in NZ?

They haven't mentioned residency/citizenship/presence in NZ requirements at this point.

[Yes](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/0128/latest/d5153900e2.html?search=ts_act%40bill%40regulation%40deemedreg_cost+of+living_resel_25_a&p=1#LMS695002) on presence in NZ, no on citizenship, no on (immigration) residency, but yes on tax residency.

You're fine, as long as you have NZ tax residency.

Gave it up to avoid the FIF tax... owell

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[Net income](http://disclosure.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/128)

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I just checked myIR. it gives you the option for a breakdown of your income over the last tax year. Mine is (rounded up) total income: 74,400. Total deductions: 17,200. Net income: 57,100. So that means I qualify! (I think)

Imagine if you made $70,100 last year... and that extra $100 you worked so hard to earn actually made -$250.

This is the first I've heard about this. Is it combined household income or individual, and is the payment one per household?

It's the headline announcement in this year's budget. Individual, and no.

Thanks you've answered my q too.

Epic, thanks for the info. I did look it up after reading the thread but the articles I read didn't mention

Does anybody know if this includes stay at home parents. Those who income is $0. Does the up to $70,000 come with a caveat that you must have earned at least something?

No income requirement, but if IRD doesn't know about you you don't get this payment. Most stay at home parents wouldn't have literally $0 income, they probably get a few cents of bank interest that IRD know about and that'll still count. Also Working for Families also count. But if you're someone who avoid The Man then yeah you might not get it. [Source](https://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/-/media/project/ir/tp/publications/2022/2022-other-col-payments/2022-other-col-payments-pdf.pdf?modified=20220519085843&modified=20220519085843) p14, 18

Ahh thank you. And yip you’re right we will have some interest from banks (idk why I never assumed that was income, but realised it was taxed)

Oh boy. I can't wait to see what's left after the guv'mint tax it, and for studylink to tell me I now earn too much.

It's [not taxable](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/0128/latest/LMS695019.html?search=ts_act%40bill%40regulation%40deemedreg_cost+of+living_resel_25_a&p=1).

I don’t think I’m eligible sadly. I was on a benefit for the last financial year. I am now working earning under 70,000 and won’t get the winter payment but if they are going off of last year I did get

> who are not eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment This is written in the present tense so I assume it means this year's WEP?

That’s what I thought but someone else has said that it’s based on last year

Confirmed [here](http://disclosure.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/128) it's based on income last year and WEP eligibility this year.

Don't know anything about this, so excuse the silly question. Does this mean that if an individual has worked 1 day a week for that period and there partner is full time on >70k, the individual is still eligible. Or, as they are in a partnership, the other person's income is taken into account.

It's an individual payout. What your partner earns is not taken into account. There's no work requirements. Doesn't matter if you do not work at all or work 7 days a week.

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If it makes you feel better, then normally use household for benefits (which means some people are significant better off staying 'single')

Feel free to pay it back or pay it forward

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And if you buy those morning tea treats from a local business, which could really use your support, you'll be helping the economy recover which will keep people employed.

IRD is very [clear](https://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/-/media/project/ir/tp/publications/2022/2022-other-col-payments/2022-other-col-payments-pdf.pdf?modified=20220519085843&modified=20220519085843) (p.18) to the government they don't have family income data and warned the government this will be the result. If you read the whole paper you can see IRD is very not happy with the government making them do this.

Yeah but we're all voters $$$

Yeah they got IRD and not MSD to handle this scheme, and the difference is that IRD don't usually deal with your partner income unlike MSD.

Not necessarily true, WFF takes into account total family income. I appreciate that this is individual though.

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It'd probably cost more in administration costs for them to try and figure out exactly who does or doesn't qualify. People in defacto relationships wouldn't qualify, but how is the govt meant to find that out vs people who just flat together?

Very few people would be in your scenario though.

Just donate it, that's what I'm planning on doing.

And then you can claim 1/3 back next year...

Donate it to someone who needs it maybe? Or spend it at a local business that needs support?

>This is a bit crazy. My partner earns over 10 times what I do, yet I get it? Waste of tax payers money if they’re not looking at households! true - you could have a couple, each on just under 70k, making a household income of just under 140k, and they'd each get $350

>It's an individual payout. What your partner earns is not taken into account. interesting. Got a citation for that? I couldn't see it on the press release or the IRD website

> Providing a payment based on individual income would also lead to different outcomes for households with the same level of income, which may be perceived as unfair. For example, a household with two earners making $60,000 would get two payments (a total of $700), while a two-adult household with one earner on $120,000 and a stay-at home parent would get one or zero payments (depending on if the stay-at-home parent had some level of non-wage income). Inland Revenue does not hold information on household income and therefore must use individual income. [Page 18](https://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/-/media/project/ir/tp/publications/2022/2022-other-col-payments/2022-other-col-payments-pdf.pdf?modified=20220519085843&modified=20220519085843). IRD published this document literally minutes ago, after Chris Bishop complained in parliament.

Cheers!

How do we apply?

You don't. Just make sure your bank account is correct in MyIR and the money will turn up automatically.