Jobseeker Support calculator: how much a week, and when it starts
A single person aged 25 or over gets up to $372.55 a week after tax. You can earn $160 a week before tax with no change; above that, 70 cents in each dollar comes off. Choose your situation to see your payment, your stand-down and your first payment date.
Worked out for the example. Change the boxes to make it yours.
| Single, 25 or over, full rate after tax | $372.55 |
|---|---|
| The same before tax | $426.12 |
| Part-time earnings a week, before tax | $250.00 |
| Taken off for earnings over $160 | -$63.00 |
| Jobseeker Support a week, after tax | $309.55 |
| Earnings at which it reaches $0 | About $693 a week |
| Stand-down | 1 week |
| Application approved | Monday 12 October 2026 |
| Payments start from | Monday 19 October 2026 |
| First payment, about | Monday 26 October 2026 |
- Weekly rates after tax at the M tax code, from 1 April 2026. Work and Income makes the decision, and the Accommodation Supplement and other help are assessed separately.
- The stand-down is 2 weeks when average weekly income before tax over the last 26 or 52 weeks is $1,620.68 or more for your situation, and 1 week under it.
Free while you are between jobs. Your account puts this weekly payment and its first payment date into the money runway on Insights, after asking, and you can change any figure there.
How the weekly amount is worked out
The calculator starts from Work and Income's full weekly rate for your situation, after tax at the M tax code, from 1 April 2026. These are the same rates our money runway calculator uses. If you are single with no children, you can earn up to $160 a week before tax with no change to the payment; over that, Work and Income takes 70 cents off for every extra dollar. For a single person aged 25 or over, the payment reaches $0 at about $693 a week of earnings, which matches Work and Income's income limit.
A sole parent loses 30 cents in the dollar on earnings from $160 to $250 a week, then 70 cents on anything over $250. A couple's earnings are added together, and each partner's payment drops by 35 cents for every dollar over $160, which is 70 cents off the couple's total.
The stand-down and your first payment
Most people have a stand-down of 1 or 2 weeks after their application is approved, with nothing paid for it. It is 2 weeks if your average weekly income before tax over the last 26 or 52 weeks was $1,620.68 or more as a single person with no children, or $1,700.68 or more with a partner, and each child adds $80 to the line. Payments start after the stand-down, but they are paid in arrears, so the first money arrives about a week after that. Our glossary explains the stand-down period in more detail.
If you left a job without a good reason or were dismissed for misconduct, Work and Income can make you wait up to 13 weeks before payments start. That is a separate non-entitlement period, not a stand-down.
What the calculator leaves out
This is the main benefit only. The Accommodation Supplement, the Winter Energy Payment, family tax credit and hardship help are assessed separately, and income can reduce them too. Work and Income decides your rate, your stand-down and whether you qualify, and its own Check what you might get tool covers the extra help. From 2 November 2026, 18 and 19 year olds also need to meet a Parental Assistance Test, which our article on the parental test for 18 and 19 year olds explains.
If you pick up casual or part-time work, the hours you declare decide the deduction each week. Our guide to casual hours and Work and Income covers how to declare them, and job hunting on Jobseeker Support covers applying and your obligations.
Questions
How much can I earn on Jobseeker Support before it is cut?
Up to $160 a week before tax with no change. Over that, 70 cents comes off for every extra dollar if you are single with no children. A sole parent loses 30 cents in the dollar from $160 to $250, then 70 cents.
How much is Jobseeker Support a week in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, a single person aged 25 or over gets up to $372.55 a week after tax at the M tax code ($426.12 before tax). Single 20 to 24 gets $324.50, a sole parent $521.52 and a couple with no children $633.94 together.
How long is the stand-down for Jobseeker Support?
Usually 1 or 2 weeks after your application is approved. It is 2 weeks if your average weekly income before tax was $1,620.68 or more as a single person with no children; the line is higher with a partner or children.
When will I get my first Jobseeker Support payment?
Payments start the day after the stand-down ends, and they are paid for the week just gone, so the first money arrives about a week later. Approved on a Monday with a 1-week stand-down means a first payment about two weeks later.
What happens when I save this?
Your account puts the weekly payment and the first payment date into the money runway on Insights in Your Job Hunt, after asking. It is free while you are between jobs, and you can change any figure there.
Sources
- Work and Income: Jobseeker Support.
- Work and Income: benefit rates from 1 April 2026.
- Work and Income: Jobseeker Support deduction tables, single with no children.
- Work and Income: Jobseeker Support deduction tables, sole parent.
- Work and Income: Jobseeker Support deduction tables, couples.
- Work and Income: stand-down periods.
- Work and Income: eligibility changes to Jobseeker Support for 18 and 19 year olds.
- Ministry of Social Development: Check what you might get.
More free tools: see all the calculators.