New Zealand Passes Welfare Reform Bill Tightening Eligibility and Adjusting Housing Subsidies

New Zealand’s Parliament has passed the Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Bill, a reform that tightens eligibility for Jobseeker Support and the Emergency Benefit for 18‑ and 19‑year‑olds by requiring a parental assistance test. The bill also revises the Accommodation Supplement calculation for homeowners, shifting the income‑contribution threshold from 30 % to 40 % before a subsidy is granted. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston said the changes aim to reduce benefit dependency and encourage employment. The legislation will take effect once it receives royal assent, immediately altering the support received by young people and homeowners and reshaping the welfare system’s fiscal sustainability.