Special Transfer Allowance
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Overview
Special Transfer Allowances were introduced on 1 October 1996 to provide ongoing assistance to those who had previously qualified for a Tenure Protection Allowance but who lost that entitlement when they:
- moved from their HNZC property (entitlement to a Tenure Protection Allowance was lost whether tenants moved to another HNZC property or to a property rented from a private landlord), or
- continued to live in their ex-state rental home after it had been sold by HNZC.
Entitlement to a Special Transfer Allowance was restricted to clients who had been living in state rental homes on 1 October 1992 and had previously received a Tenure Protection Allowance.
Trends in the number of clients receiving a Special Transfer Allowance
Since 2004, the number of Special Transfer Allowance recipients has decreased from 125 to 56, reflecting attrition from the original group of clients who were eligible for an allowance. Over this period, between 92% and 95% of recipients have been receiving New Zealand Superannuation, reflecting the high proportion of allowance recipients who were aged 65 years or over.
Between one and three Special Transfer Allowances have been granted annually since 2003/2004. These are low numbers compared with earlier years, reflecting attrition from the original group of clients who were eligible for an allowance.
Trends in expenditure on Tenure Protection Allowances and Special Transfer Allowances
From 1996/1997 onward, combined annual expenditure on Tenure Protection Allowances and Special Transfer Allowances has decreased each year (from $17 million in 1996/1997 to $12 million in 1999/2000 and under half a million since 2001/2002). The low levels of expenditure on these allowances since 2001/2002 reflect the reintroduction of income-related rents in November 2000 and the related abolition of the Tenure Protection Allowance programme.
