TAS will advise households on registration that there is a cost, how much the weekly part payment will be and when their payments start. Part payments usually apply to temporary accommodation from two weeks after activation.
The household pays TAS, and TAS pays the accommodation provider. The household does not pay the accommodation provider directly.
If you have insurance, review your policy to find out your rent cover for temporary accommodation. If you are uninsured, or your insurance policy does not cover temporary accommodation, you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Ministry of Social Development.
If you are late with your part payments by 10 working days or more, your agreement for the temporary accommodation may be terminated.
If you cannot afford your part payments, you may apply for a temporary or ongoing change to your part payment due to financial hardship. Speak with your Matching and Placement Coordinator for eligibility and process.
Part payment start dates
Wairoa Flooding 2024: 23 July 2024
North Island Weather Event (NIWE) 2023: 1 May 2023
For the NIWE response, part payments were implemented later than previous responses (11 weeks after activation). TAS updated its policy on costs and timing of payments on 1 May 2023. This means subsequent event responses will differ from the NIWE response.
Part payment amounts
For certain temporary accommodation options the part payment is charged at a fixed rate. For other options, the part payment is below market rent for the affected region (at least 10% less than the lower quartile market rent for the affected region).
Market Rent(external link) – Tenancy Services
The part payment amount is set based on the area where the emergency event is located. For example, for the Wairoa 2024 response, market rent statistics were used solely from Wairoa. In a wider regional response, market rent will be taken from multiple areas included within the region. Different locations will have different weekly cost amounts.
Reason for part payments
After an emergency event, local authorities provide civil defence emergency management (CDEM) in their area. This will often include emergency accommodation at no cost.
After this initial response, TAS provides temporary accommodation support on an ongoing basis to displaced households while their homes are rebuilt or remediated. The duration of stays in temporary accommodation during this transition phase will be different for all households.
TAS is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and has an agreement with all households that stay in temporary accommodation. The agreement requires households to make a weekly part payment which covers a portion of the cost of the temporary accommodation, while the remaining cost is covered by MBIE.
TAS is not a free service. TAS instead makes temporary accommodation accessible by sourcing and subsiding the cost of temporary accommodation during the transition phase. This ensures that affected households have access to temporary accommodation at either a fixed rate or below market rent for the affected region. It also ensures funding is available for all affected households using the service, for as long as they need.
Managing Part Payments
If your household is experiencing difficulties making part payments due to exceptional circumstances or financial hardship, TAS can work with you to find a solution. Changes to your part payments may be possible, such as deferrals, reductions or temporary waivers.
Applying for a change to your part payment amount
If you have not made all of your required part payments, you can pay your debt in full or set up a payment plan.
Contact your Matching and Placement Coordinator as soon as possible if you are facing difficulties making your part payments.
There are financial assistance options that may be available to you across government agencies.
Applying for a change to your part payment amount
You can apply for a change to your part payment if your household is experiencing:
- exceptional circumstances, or
- financial hardship
If your application is accepted by TAS, your weekly part payment amount may be reduced or waived temporarily. This may also be applied to debts from part payment arrears.
Exceptional circumstances
Exceptional circumstances are circumstances that are unexpected and have a significant effect on the life of your household and your ability to make part payments. E.g. situations such as bereavement, or physical or mental health deterioration.
Being displaced because of a civil defence emergency does not qualify as an exceptional circumstance for this purpose.
To qualify for a change in part payments under exceptional circumstances your household must:
- be facing exceptional circumstances that make it financially or practically difficult to make part payments for a period of time, and
- not currently receive financial assistance from the Ministry of Social Development or your insurer that meets the cost of your part payment.
Under this category, changes to your part payment will be temporary, with the period of time for the changes decided on a case-by-case basis.
Undue financial hardship
Part payments may be reduced in cases where displaced households are facing undue financial hardship.
Changes under this category will consider:
- your household’s net weekly income,
- the difference between the standard part payment and your household’s accommodation costs prior to being displaced, and
- any continuing fixed housing costs from your household’s place of residence prior to being displaced, such as mortgage, rates, or insurance payments.
Depending on your household’s circumstances, you may have your part payment temporarily reduced with a specified end date, or reduced on an ongoing basis, with a set review period to make sure the amount remains appropriate and affordable. Changes will be decided on a case-by-case basis and as your circumstances are reviewed per the set periods.
How to apply
Complete the following application form to apply for a change to your part payment and return to TemporaryAccommServ@mbie.govt.nz
TAS Hardship application form [PDF, 301 KB]
You will need to provide sufficient information to demonstrate that your household is unable to make part payments during a period of undue financial hardship or due to exceptional circumstances. Please provide the required information for all adult members of your household.
Talk to your Matching and Placement Coordinator if you need help with your application.
Disputing decisions
If you disagree with the outcome of your hardship application, please email us within 5 days of receiving the decision:
Provide relevant information for the dispute, including supporting material that you would like considered.
We will review your dispute and be in touch with you as soon as possible.
If the dispute involves other people, for privacy reasons we may be limited in the information and/or updates we can provide to you.
Part payment debt
If you have not made all of your required payments, you will receive a notice from TAS outlining the amount that is owed and some options available to you to clear the debt. You must either pay the owed amount or come to an agreement on a payment plan with TAS to clear the debt.
Email us to discuss a payment plan for your part payment arrears:
If no payments are made to clear the part payment in arrears, or if a payment plan cannot be agreed to, your temporary accommodation may be terminated and you will be required to move out of the temporary accommodation. TAS may also seek to recover the owed amount through a debt collection agency.
