Public Policy
/ analysis
Budget 2025 - Social Development
27th May 25, 10:39am
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This table outlines the New Zealand Government's planned social development spending for the 2025/26 budget year.
Actual spending for the previous five years is on the left.
The numbers are drawn together from the Vote Social Development.
Links to the primary sources used, from Treasury's website, can be found at the bottom of the page.
Please note that some of the allocation titles have been shortened for the sake of space. Figures for each allocation are in millions of NZ$.
| Actual 2020/21 | Actual 2021/22 | Actual 2022/23 | Actual 2023/24 | Estimate 2024/25 | Budget 2025/26 | % | |
| NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | ||
| 1,419.5 | 5,176.4 | 273.5 | 14.2 | 0.0 | Business & Worker Support Subsidy Covid-19 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 12.5 | 17.0 | 19.3 | 20.5 | 18.4 | Social Work Support | 0.9 | 0.0% |
| 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.3 | Extraordinary Care Fund | 2.3 | 0.0% |
| 57.0 | 20.8 | 17.0 | 17.2 | 19.3 | Corporate Support Services | 19.6 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13.5 | 19.5 | Driver Licence Support | 20.9 | 0.0% |
| 64.4 | 63.0 | 61.2 | 64.9 | 60.7 | SuperGold Cards & Senior Support | 69.4 | 0.2% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38.1 | Redress for Abuse in Care | 75.3 | 0.2% |
| 73.2 | 79.3 | 85.1 | 91.9 | 100.9 | Youth Payments and Support | 98.7 | 0.2% |
| 139.3 | 134.5 | 132.0 | 131.5 | 132.0 | Veterans’ Pension | 133.0 | 0.3% |
| 32.8 | 42.8 | 44.9 | 62.3 | 81.3 | Extra, Historic and Special Circumstance Payments | 149.3 | 0.3% |
| 145.2 | 131.9 | 138.6 | 164.7 | 170.4 | Childcare Assistance | 178.0 | 0.4% |
| 92.4 | 261.7 | 313.0 | 352.1 | 369.8 | Administration & Policy Advice | 285.5 | 0.6% |
| 349.1 | 328.4 | 376.3 | 300.9 | 276.5 | Recoverable Assistance | 297.5 | 0.7% |
| 326.8 | 348.6 | 386.0 | 418.1 | 432.8 | Programs and Support for Children | 449.3 | 1.0% |
| 387.1 | 588.5 | 549.4 | 466.3 | 468.9 | Community Support & Services | 456.1 | 1.0% |
| 415.7 | 423.9 | 2,540.9 | 2,841.3 | 3,217.9 | Disability Assistance | 510.5 | 1.1% |
| 811.6 | 513.2 | 518.9 | 536.5 | 560.3 | Winter Energy Payment | 576.7 | 1.3% |
| 478.7 | 497.1 | 673.4 | 667.4 | 758.3 | Hardship Assistance | 837.1 | 1.8% |
| 987.5 | 1,272.2 | 1,297.6 | 1,293.1 | 1,152.0 | Improved Employment and Social Outcomes Support | 1,159.5 | 2.6% |
| 1,455.2 | 1,703.7 | 1,916.5 | 2,097.0 | 2,257.2 | Sole Parent Support | 2,331.5 | 5.1% |
| 2,390.7 | 2,467.2 | 2,468.4 | 2,607.3 | 2,553.1 | Housing Services and Support | 2,623.6 | 5.8% |
| 2,367.2 | 2,288.8 | 2,109.4 | 2,137.3 | 2,459.6 | Student loans, Scholarships and Support | 2,746.0 | 6.1% |
| 1,825.7 | 2,047.4 | 2,310.8 | 2,530.3 | 2,669.5 | Supported Living Payment | 2,781.8 | 6.1% |
| 3,223.6 | 3,329.7 | 3,472.6 | 4,062.2 | 4,644.3 | Jobseeker Support and Emergency Benefit | 4,838.7 | 10.7% |
| 16,568.7 | 17,764.0 | 19,517.0 | 21,574.4 | 23,179.7 | New Zealand Superannuation | 24,690.9 | 54.5% |
| 33,626 | 39,502 | 39,224 | 42,467 | 45,643 | Total Spending | 45,332 | 100% |
| Less: Recoveries | |||||||
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | Interest Revenue | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.5 | -0.1 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Benefit Recoveries - Liable Parent Contributions | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.1 | 0.3 | -16.3 | 11.9 | 0.5 | Maintenance Capitalisation | 0.5 | 0.0% |
| 0.6 | -0.1 | -1.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | Income Related Rent Underpayment Recoveries | 0.7 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.2 | 16.1 | 5.1 | Programme Recoveries | 4.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.1 | -0.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 8.1 | Student Loan - Administration Fee | 8.1 | 0.0% |
| 132.5 | 113.0 | 98.0 | 96.8 | 99.4 | Student Loans - Repayment of Principal | 121.1 | 0.3% |
| 95.0 | 99.9 | 101.7 | 115.3 | 146.5 | Benefit Recoveries - Non-Current Debt | 136.8 | 0.3% |
| 0.5 | -0.1 | 382.8 | 409.8 | 445.1 | Benefit Recoveries - Current Debt | 437.5 | 1.0% |
| 95.0 | 99.9 | 379.5 | 413.5 | 444.4 | Overseas Pension Recoveries | 444.3 | 1.0% |
| 324.1 | 312.7 | 969.2 | 1,071.3 | 1,149.6 | Total Recoveries | 1,152.8 | 2.6% |
| 33,302 | 39,189 | 38,254 | 41,396 | 44,493 | Net Social Welfare | 44,179 | 100% |
You can get back to the main page that summarises all government spending here >>
Sources: You can download the data behind these tables from the NZ Government website here.
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