Income-related rent

Easy Read Information

When you live in social housing

the amount of rent you pay will

be based on how much money

you have.

You will be paying either

income-related rent or market rent.

Income-related rent is based on

the amount of the money you

have.

The Ministry of Social

Development works out how

much rent they think you can

afford to pay.

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Living in Social Housing

The housing provider then

charges you the amount of rent

you need to pay.

The Government then pays the

rest of the rent to the housing provider.

A housing provider is an

organisation that rents out

houses, like Housing New

Zealand.

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Market rent is how much money

other people are paying to rent

houses that are:

almost the same kind

almost the same size

in the same part of town.

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What is market rent?

Income-related rent is for people

on low incomes.

It means that:

you pay some of the rent

the Government pays some of

the rent.

How much rent you pay depends

on how much money you have.

If your income is less than a

certain amount, your rent will be

a quarter of the money you get

each week, or less.

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What is income-related rent?

If you earn more than a certain

amount, your rent will be no

more than the market rent for the

house.

This makes the rent cheaper for you.

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We will need to look at all of your

details to decide if you have a

low income.

Your income is low if it is:

less than $357.42 a week

after tax and you are single

with no children

less than $549.88 a week

after tax and you have a

partner and/ or children.

This amount is looked at by the

Government each year on 1 April

to see if it is still right.

You can see the amount on this

website:

www.housing.msd.govt.nz

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What is a low income?

The amount of rent you pay will

be based on the amount of

money you and your partner (if

you have one) got in the last

year.

This includes:

money from any jobs you

have

any money from businesses

you own

any payments from ACC

money you and your partner

have been given together

family tax credit payments

Superannuation

National Provident Fund

payments

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Applying for income-related rent

savings

money you get often, like

money from boarders,

flatmates or adult children.

We will check with you every

year to make sure you are

paying the right amount of rent.

This may change how much rent

you need to pay.

It is very important you let us

know as soon as you have a

change in circumstances.

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Social housing tenants:

cannot get an Accommodation Supplement or Accommodation Benefit

can be tested for income-related rent.

You have a partner if you are

living in the same house with a

person who you are:

married to

in a civil union with

in a de facto relationship with.

If you are in a relationship with

someone that lives in your house

who has not signed the tenancy

agreement, they are seen to be

your partner.

If they have signed the tenancy

agreement, they are also a

tenant.

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If you have a partner

The Ministry of Social

Development will test your need

for social housing and income-related rent.

People moving in or out of your

house may change how much

money all the people living in

your house get.

This will change how much rent

each of you need to pay.

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Why does the Ministry of Social Development need to know who lives in your home?

If you do not understand a

decision we have made, please

talk to us.

If you do not agree with a

decision we have made, you can

ask for a review using the forms

on our website or write to us by

letter, email or fax.

A review will mean the decision

will be looked at again.

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What to do if you do not agree with a decision we have made

3 You can ask for a review within 3 months of the decision.

If you cannot do this within 3

months, please talk to us.

If you have a good reason for the

delay, your review may still be

able to happen.

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A change in circumstances

could be:

people moving in or out of

your house

starting or ending a

relationship

starting or ending a job

changing how many hours you

work

leaving New Zealand for any

length of time

children coming into or leaving

your care

getting more or less money.

If you are on our waiting list for

housing or are already a social

housing tenant, you need to let

us know when anything changes

in you or your partner’s lives.

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What is a ‘change in circumstances’?

If you do not let us know when

there is a change:

you may not get the housing

that is right for you

you may not be able to get

social housing at all

you might be paying the

wrong amount of income-related rent

you might end up having to

pay back money.

You also need to let us know if

you change:

phone numbers

addresses

names – this includes the

names of your partner or

children in your care.

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For more information or to apply:

If you have a client number and:

you are under 65 call

0800 559 009

you are 65 or over call Senior

Services on

0800 552 002

you are a student call Study

Link on 0800 88 99 00

you are with Youth Service

call your Youth Service

provider.

Have your client number ready.

You can find your client number

on:

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letters from us

your Community Services or

SuperGold card if you have

one of these.

If you are Deaf you can contact us on:

Deaf Link free-fax

0800 621 621

telephone typewriter (TTY)

0800 111 113

text

029 286 7170 email:

MSD_Deaf_Services@msd.govt.nz

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If you don’t have a client number:

Call us on 0800 673 468

(0800 MSD housing)

This information has been translated into Easy Read by People First New Zealand Inc.

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