Best Start payments

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heavenlywild

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#249061 23-Apr-2019 11:32

How do these work if you are getting paid parental leave? I know you can't have both payments at the same time.

When paid parental leave finishes, is the Best Start payment pro-rated or you simply get $60 until your child turns one? The question is if you get the full $60x52 weeks or not with paid parental leave.

Can't call IRD this week due to their offices being closed. Keen to get a better understanding.

Thanks in advance for anyone who can provide some clarity.

kingjj

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#2222792 23-Apr-2019 18:28

Just discussing this with the wife as we speak. Would be helpful if the IRD were operational. Following with interest as we're both a bit confused at the moment.

icekayak

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#2222890 23-Apr-2019 21:49

Can confirm parental leave has finished for us and we are currently getting $60 a week.
Baby isn’t 12 months old yet, but we are expecting payments to stop once they are.

https://www.ird.govt.nz/news-updates/families-package-bill.html
“For the first year of the baby's life the family's income is not taken into account. For families earning less than $79,000, Best Start will continue at $60 per week until the child turns 3”

“You have to apply for Best Start each year, it doesn't automatically keep going. When your child is 11 months old, you'll get a letter asking you to confirm your details.”

phrozenpenguin

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#2222900 23-Apr-2019 21:56

You get $60/week after parental leave finishes. Not pro-rated up. Paid fortnightly (can't recall if there were options).

heavenlywild

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#2222925 23-Apr-2019 22:45

Thanks for the replies. So I guess it isn't exactly $60 a week in the first year. It's more like 52 weeks - 22 PPL = 30 weeks at $60 a week.

heavenlywild

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#2222931 23-Apr-2019 22:48

phrozenpenguin:
You get $60/week after parental leave finishes. Not pro-rated up. Paid fortnightly (can't recall if there were options).

Applied today when ordering a birth cert.

You can choose weekly, fortnightly, monthly or yearly (31 March). Not sure why anyone would not choose weekly with these options.

Goosey

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#2222982 24-Apr-2019 06:37

heavenlywild:
phrozenpenguin:

You get $60/week after parental leave finishes. Not pro-rated up. Paid fortnightly (can't recall if there were options).

Applied today when ordering a birth cert.

You can choose weekly, fortnightly, monthly or yearly (31 March). Not sure why anyone would not choose weekly with these options.

and after you apply online, it takes an age to process...but they figure it all out and send you details about how/when/what and for how long.

Jase2985

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#2222994 24-Apr-2019 07:40

heavenlywild: Not sure why anyone would not choose weekly with these options.

because then they have a guaranteed amount of money coming in a week

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heavenlywild

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#2223117 24-Apr-2019 10:56

Goosey:

heavenlywild:
phrozenpenguin:

You get $60/week after parental leave finishes. Not pro-rated up. Paid fortnightly (can't recall if there were options).

Applied today when ordering a birth cert.

You can choose weekly, fortnightly, monthly or yearly (31 March). Not sure why anyone would not choose weekly with these options.

and after you apply online, it takes an age to process...but they figure it all out and send you details about how/when/what and for how long.

Apparently 3 weeks according to the website.