Budget fact sheets 2005 - increased pay for home help

The Government is investing more than $690,000 over four years to increase pay rates for people who deliver home help under the Ministry of Social Development’s Home Help Programme.

Under this programme financial assistance is provided to nearly 6,000 clients annually to purchase temporary part-time assistance to complete tasks around the home.

The funding enables the home help rates to be increased and set at a single pay rate of $10.00 gross per hour (excluding holiday pay) It will also allow the pay rates to be adjusted in line with changes in the minimum wage from April 2006 and includes the impact of changes to holiday pay from April 2007 from 6% to 8% of gross income.

The change in pay rate will take effect from 1 July 2005.