7 Aug 2010

$90 p/wk difference found in types of housing welfare payments

6:02 am on 7 August 2010

A report has identified that tenants getting Government help to pay their rent can be better or worse off, depending on which agency they go to.

There is up to a difference of $90 per week between payments from Housing New Zealand and the subsidies available from Work & Income.

The inconsistency has been identified in a report on affordable housing compiled by the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group.

Chairman Alan Jackson says discrepancies between the income-related rent subsidy and Work & Income's accommodation supplement need to be fixed.

The group has made 19 recommendations to the Government.