New Zealand Income Support Survey main findings

Methodology report

The methodology report outlines the procedures and protocols that were used for the survey to ensure that high-quality, robust and useful data would be collected.

Summary of key findings

Key findings include:

• Non-awareness of Ministry of Social Development (MSD) payments varied significantly; a sizeable proportion of respondents were not aware of several forms of supplementary assistance offered by MSD.
• Most respondents who had applied or reapplied for a Work and Income payment, or Working for Families from IR in the previous 12 months had a positive or neutral experience.
• Take-up of the Accommodation Supplement was low, especially among potentially eligible respondents who were not receiving a main benefit payment.
• Respondents with children were generally aware of the family tax credit, but awareness of the other Working for Families payments was lower.
• Respondents with children generally agreed that income support payments for families with children helped make working worthwhile for them, and helped to meet their family’s needs.
• Ending up with more money after costs was the most common financial factor rated as important or extremely important when deciding to earn extra from a job.
• Lack of awareness, and difficulty in finding appropriate childcare contributed to non-receipt of Childcare/Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidies.
• Uncertainty about the Work and Income or IR relationship eligibility rules contributed to some respondents saying that there had been a time when they were not sure if they should disclose that they had a partner.

Further key findings are contained in the summary of key findings document below

Findings packs

The following PDF documents provide an overview of the findings from the 2022 New Zealand Income Support Survey, grouped by topic.

Data packs

The following Excel tables contain the data from the findings packs above in a tabular format.