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Working for Families

Best Start are payments that give extra support to your family over the 1st 3 years of your child’s life.

The payments are 1 of 4 types of Working for Families payments.

How to get Best Start

To get Best Start you need to be registered for Working for Families.

If you're registered for Working for Families

If you get Working for Families and you have a baby, you’ll qualify for Best Start. You just need to tell us you have a new child.

Update a child's details 

If you're not registered for Working for Families

If you're not registered for Working for Families, you can check if you meet the requirements.

Can you get Working for Families?

Payments for up to 3 years

During the 1st year, you’ll get the full Best Start entitlement no matter how much family income you earn (once any paid parental leave payments finish).

Year of your child’s life If you're not getting paid parental leave If you are getting paid parental leave Amount of your Best Start payments
 1st year  Payments from the child’s birth until their 1st birthday  Payments from after the paid parental leave finishes until the child’s 1st birthday   $73 a week (up to $3,838). This does not change no matter how much you earn.
 2nd year  Full year  Full year  Up to $73 a week but entitlement will reduce for every dollar you earn over $79,000 (up to $3,838)
 3rd year  Full year up until your child’s 3rd birthday  Full year up until your child’s 3rd birthday  Up to $73 a week but entitlement will reduce for every dollar you earn over $79,000 (up to $3,838))

We round your instalments down to the nearest dollar. Rounding down means we do not count the cents. So $421.75 would become $421.

How much money can you expect?

Check out our calculator and chart for a quick estimate of your entitlement.

Estimate your entitlement

Your income type does not matter

You can get Best Start if you earn any type of income, including:

  • a salary or wage
  • self-employed income
  • a main benefit
  • NZ superannuation
  • a student allowance.

If you get any of these payments, we’ll include them in your family income when we work out your entitlement.

Student allowance (MSD website)

Working out your family income

Best Start and paid parental leave

Do you get paid parental leave payments?

Your Best Start payments will start when your paid parental leave payments finish.

Working for Families and paid parental leave

Examples

The following examples show how we would work out Best Start payments for the Faraj family from the birth of their child until she turns 3.

The rates of Best Start are expected to change from year to year. In the examples we use the rates for the 2024-2025 tax year, but you can still get an idea of how everything works.

Example: When the Faraj family’s Best Start payments start

Samira and her partner Malik are expecting a baby. On 16 April 2024, Samira goes on paid parental leave to make the necessary preparations.

Baby Azra is born on 1 June 2024, and Samira’s paid parental leave payments finish on 14 October 2024 (6 months after they start).

That means Samira’s Best Start payments start on 15 October 2024.

Example: Azra’s 1st year, born in the 2025 tax year

From the date Samira’s paid parental leave payments finish until Azra turns 1, Samira is entitled to Best Start payments of $73 a week, no matter how much the family earns.

Example: Azra turns 1 during the 2026 tax year

The Faraj family earns income of $83,500 for the 2025-2026 tax year.

But Samira is guaranteed $73 a week in Best Start payments ─ regardless of family income ─ until the day before Azra turns 1 on 1 June 2025.

From then on, we need to take the family’s income into account, because the Faraj family earns over $79,000 a year.

Here’s how we work out the payments:

Abatement

The abatement is:


( Family income:  $83,500 − $79,000 ) = difference:  $4,500

$4,500 × 21% = abatement:  $945

Entitlement for the year

Samira’s entitlement for the year is $2,893. Here’s how we worked it out:


Full entitlement:  $3,838 − abatement:  $945 = Samira's entitlement  $2,893

That’s $55 a week. Here’s how we worked it out:


$2,893 ÷ 52 = $55

So, Samira gets $55 a week from 1 June 2025 (Azra’s birthday) until the end of the tax year (31 March 2026).

Example: Azra turns 2 during the 2027 tax year

The Faraj family earns income of $86,100 for the 2026-2027 tax year.

We need to take the family’s income into account, because they earn over $79,000 a year.

Here’s how we work out the payments:

Abatement

The abatement is:


Family income:  $86,100 − $79,000 = difference  $7,100

$7,100 × 21% = abatement:  $1,491

Entitlement for the year

Samira’s entitlement for the year is $2,347. Here’s how we worked it out:


Full entitlement:  $3,838 − abatement:  $1,491 = $2,347

That’s $45 a week. Here’s how we worked it out:


$2,347 ÷ 52 = $45

So, Samira gets $45 a week from 1 April 2026 until 31 March 2027.

Example: Azra turns 3 during the 2028 tax year

Best Start payments are paid up until the child turns 3. Azra turns 3 on 1 June 2027, which is part-way through the 2027-2028 tax year.

In the 2027-2028 tax year, the Faraj family earns income of $93,700. We use the income for the full year, even though payments stops when Azra turns 3.

We need to take their income into account because it’s over $79,000 a year.

Here’s how we work out the payments:

Abatement

The abatement is:


Family income:  $93,700 − $79,000 =  $14,700

$14,700 × 21% = abatement:  $3,087

Entitlement for the year

Samira’s entitlement for the year is $751. Here’s how we worked it out:


Full entitlement:  $3,838 − abatement:  $3,087 = Samira’s entitlement:  $751

That’s $14 a week. Here’s how we worked it out:


$751 ÷ 52 = $14

So, Samira gets $14 a week from 1 April 2027 until 31 May 2027 ─ the day before Azra turns 3.

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Last updated: 11 Mar 2025
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