Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698751228192.pdf (New Zealand)
2021/15 Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 Patsy Reddy, Governor-General Order in Council At Wellington this 22nd day of February 2021 Present: The Right Hon Jacinda Ardern presiding in Council This order is made under sections 452, 452A, and 453 of the Social Security Act 2018 and sections 15 and 16 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council.
Contents Title Commencement Mandatory adjustments under section 452A of Social Security Act 2018 Mandatory adjustments under section 453 of Social Security Act 2018 Mandatory adjustments under sections 15 and 16 of New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 Discretionary increases under section 452 of Social Security Act 2018 Revocations Schedule 1 Mandatory adjustments Schedule 2 Discretionary increases Page 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 6 1 cl 1 1 2 3 (1) Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 2021/15 Title Order This order is the Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021.
Commencement This order comes into force on 1 April 2021.

Mandatory adjustments under section 452A of Social Security Act 2018 In each provision of the Social Security Act 2018 listed in the first column of Part 1 of Schedule 1 of this order, replace, in each place, the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out oppos- ite to that provision in the third column.
(2) By virtue of section 452A(5) of the Social Security Act 2018, this clause— (a) (b) comes into force on 1 April 2021; and applies to benefits (within the meaning of that Act) payable on and after that date.
4 (1) Mandatory adjustments under section 453 of Social Security Act 2018 In each provision of the Social Security Act 2018 listed in the first column of Part 2 of Schedule 1 of this order, replace, in each place, the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out oppos- ite to that provision in the third column.
(2) By virtue of section 453(5) of the Social Security Act 2018, this clause— (a) (b) comes into force on 1 April 2021; and applies to benefits (within the meaning of that Act) payable on and after that date.
5 (1) Mandatory adjustments under sections 15 and 16 of New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 In each provision of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 listed in the first column of Part 3 of Schedule 1 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the fourth column.
(2) By virtue of section 15(6) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001, this clause— comes into force on 1 April 2021; and applies to New Zealand superannuation payable on and after that date.
(a) (b) 2 2021/15 Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 Schedule 1 6 (1) (2) Discretionary increases under section 452 of Social Security Act 2018 In each provision of the Social Security Act 2018 listed in the first column of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provi- sion in the third column.
In each provision of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 listed in the first column of Part 2 of Schedule 2 of this order, replace the amount set out opposite to that provision in the second column with the amount set out opposite to that provision in the third column.
7 Revocations The following orders are revoked: (a) (b) (c) (d) Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2019 (LI 2019/27): Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2020 (LI 2020/13): Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) (COVID-19 Recov- ery Package) Amendment Order 2020 (LI 2020/49): Social Security (COVID-19 Increase to Rates of Orphan’s Benefit and Unsupported Child’s Benefit) Order 2020 (LI 2020/126).
Schedule 1 Mandatory adjustments cls 3, 4, 5 Part 1 Average weekly earnings wage adjustments to social security benefits and allowances Provision amended Schedule 4, Part 1 (Jobseeker support) Clause 1(a) Clause 1(b) Clause 1(c) Clause 1(d) Clause 1(e) Clause 1(f) Clause 1(g)(i) Clause 1(g)(ii) Clause 1(h)(i) Clause 1(h)(ii) Clause 1(j)(i) Old amount ($) New amount ($) 175.48 213.10 260.11 250.74 375.17 375.17 200.60 214.03 200.60 227.46 401.20 180.91 219.70 268.16 258.50 386.78 386.78 206.81 220.65 206.81 234.50 413.62 3 Schedule 1 Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 2021/15 New amount ($) 441.30 206.81 206.81 220.65 375.17 386.78 Old amount ($) 428.06 200.60 200.60 214.03 Provision amended Clause 1(j)(ii) Clause 2 Clause 3(i) Clause 3(ii) Schedule 4, Part 2 (Sole parent support) Clause 1 Schedule 4, Part 3 (Supported living payment) Clause 1(a) Clause 1(b) Clause 1(c) Clause 1(d)(i) Clause 1(d)(ii) Clause 1(e)(i) Clause 1(e)(ii) Clause 1(g)(i) Clause 1(g)(ii) Clause 1(h)(i) Clause 1(h)(ii) Clause 2 253.31 307.14 422.50 247.61 261.04 247.61 274.46 495.22 522.08 247.61 274.46 392.61 59.53 247.61 274.46 261.15 316.65 435.58 255.27 269.12 255.27 282.96 510.54 538.24 255.27 282.96 442.27 61.38 Clause 7(a) 255.27 282.96 Clause 7(b) Schedule 4, Part 6 (Rates and component of youth payment and young parent payment, and criteria for incentive payments) Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Clause 4 Clause 5(a) Clause 5(b) Schedule 4, Part 10 (Rates of generally abolished former widows’ benefits under section 21 of Social Security Act 1964 as saved by clause 55 of Schedule 1 of Social Security Act 2018 for reciprocity agreement applicants or recipients) Clause 1 Clause 2 Schedule 4, Part 11 (Rates of generally abolished former DPB for solo parents under section 27B of Social Security Act 1964 as saved by clause 55 of Schedule 1 of Social Security Act 2018 for reciprocity agreement applicants or recipients) Clause 1 Clause 2 219.70 208.60 386.78 206.81 234.50 220.65 213.10 202.34 375.17 200.60 227.46 214.03
 375.17 260.11 386.78 268.16 375.17 260.11 386.78 268.16 4 2021/15 Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 Schedule 1 Part 2 CPI adjustments to social security benefits and allowances Old amount ($) Provision amended Schedule 4, Part 4 (Orphan’s benefit) Clause 1(a) Clause 1(b) Clause 1(c) Clause 1(d) Schedule 4, Part 5 (Unsupported child’s benefit) Clause 1(a) Clause 1(b) Clause 1(c) Clause 1(d) Schedule 4, Part 12 (Rates of benefits payable to long-term hospital patients) Clause 1 262.59 244.11 225.55 200.71 262.59 244.11 225.55 200.71 46.03 New amount ($) 265.62 246.93 228.15 203.03 265.62 246.93 228.15 203.03 46.56 Part 3 Adjustments to superannuation entitlements Old amount ($) Provision amended Schedule 1, Part 1 (Rates generally) Clause 1(a) Clause 1(b) Clause 1(c) Schedule 1, Part 2 (Rates saved by Schedule 1AA) Clause 1(b) 490.73 451.29 372.27 705.26 CPI adjusted amount ($) (required by section 15 of NZS&RI Act) New amount ($) (required by sections 15 and 16 of NZS&RI Act) 496.66 456.69 376.73 714.16 506.64 466.03 384.46 728.64 Note: In this Part, NZS&RI Act means the New Zealand Superannuation and Retire- ment Income Act 2001.
5 Schedule 2 Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 2021/15 Schedule 2 Discretionary increases cl 6 Part 1 Increases to social security, income limits, allowances, and asset limits Provision amended Schedule 4, Part 6 (Rates and component of youth payment and young parent payment, and criteria for incentive payments) Clause 11 Old amount ($) Clause 12 224.58 274.58 224.58 324.58 49.26 65.36 40.77 1,113.36 1,855.15 1,461.89 1,570.35 Schedule 4, Part 9 (Child disability allowance and disability allowance) Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Schedule 5, Part 1 (Asset limits) Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Clause 4 Schedule 5, Part 2 (Income limits) Clause 5 Clause 6 Clause 7 Clause 8 Clause 9 Schedule 5, Part 3 (Disability allowance income limits) Clause 10 Clause 11 Clause 12 Clause 13 Clause 14 549.57 676.61 1,006.82 766.47 807.54 508.54 584.46 848.92 709.22 747.20 New amount ($) 227.18 277.18 227.18 327.18 49.83 66.11 41.24 1,126.21 1,876.56 1,478.76 1,588.47 514.41 591.20 858.72 717.40 755.82 555.91 692.52 1,031.20 775.31 816.86 Part 2 Increases to superannuation entitlements Provision amended Schedule 1, Part 1 (Rates generally) Clause 3 Schedule 1, Part 2 (Rates saved by Schedule 1AA) Clause 1(a) Old amount ($) New amount ($) 46.03 744.54 46.56 768.92 6 2021/15 Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 Explanatory note Michael Webster, Clerk of the Executive Council.
Explanatory note This note is not part of the order, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This order, which comes into force on 1 April 2021, increases a range of benefits, allowances, asset limits, and superannuation entitlements, etc, that are payable on and after 1 April 2021.

The increases reflect both mandatory adjustments and discretion- ary increases.
Where a net average weekly earnings adjustment is required, it reflects the increase of 3.10% in the net average wage from the December 2019 quarter to the December 2020 quarter.

Annual net average wage weekly earnings adjustments are required under section 452A of the Social Security Act 2018 for the following benefits: • • • • • • jobseeker support: sole parent support: supported living payment: youth payment and young parent payment: former widow’s benefit: former domestic purposes benefit.
These increases are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1.

Where an annual consumers price index (CPI) increase is required, it reflects the increase of 1.15% in the New Zealand Consumers Price Index from the December 2019 quarter to the December 2020 quarter, calculated for all quarters using the New Zealand Consumers Price Index (All Groups), excluding cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Annual CPI increases are required under section 453 of the Social Security Act 2018 for the following benefits: orphan’s benefit, unsupported child’s benefit, and the hos- pital rate.

These increases are set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

Annual CPI increases are also required, under section 15 of the New Zealand Super- annuation and Retirement Income Act 2001, for superannuation entitlements.
Those increases may sometimes be more than the CPI increase in order to meet the further requirements (in sections 15(3)(a) and (b) and 16 of that Act) that the increases main- tain a specified relationship to the net average wage and also maintain the propor- tional relationship of specified rates.

The total of the increases required by both sec- tions 15 and 16 of the Act is set out in Part 3 of Schedule 1.
The discretionary increases made under section 452 of the Social Security Act 2018 are in respect of— 7 Explanatory note Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2021 2021/15 • • • • • • the abatement rates and income limits for the youth payment and young parent payment: the rates of child disability allowance and disability allowance: various asset and income limits that may be applied to certain assistance: the disability allowance income limits: the hospital rate payable to a superannuitant set out in clause 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001: the rate payable to a superannuitant set out in clause 1(a) of Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001.
These increases are set out in Schedule 2.

This order is a confirmable instrument, and an annual confirmable instrument, under section 47B of the Legislation Act 2012.

It is revoked, or taken to have been invalid for past operation, at the close of 30 June 2022 unless earlier confirmed by an Act of Parliament.

That stated time is the applicable deadline under section 47C(1)(a) of the Legislation Act 2012.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2012.
Date of notification in Gazette: 25 February 2021.

This order is administered by the Ministry of Social Development.

Wellington, New Zealand: Published under the authority of the New Zealand Government—2021 8