Short-Term Absence Payment
The Short-Term Absence Payment is available to employers to pay workers who follow public health guidance and stay home while waiting for a COVID-19 test result. It’s also available to eligible self-employed workers. To be eligible, workers need to be unable to work from home and need to miss work while waiting for their test results.
How much
There’s a one-off payment of $359 payment for each eligible worker. Employers or the self-employed can apply for any worker once in any 30-day period, unless a health official or doctor tells the worker to get another test.
How to apply
You can apply through Work and Income
Leave Support Scheme
The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is available to employers to help pay employees who have been advised to self-isolate because of COVID-19 and can’t work from home. It’s also available to eligible self-employed workers.
How much
$600 per week for full-time workers and $359 per week for part-time workers.
How to apply
You can apply through Work and Income
Read about the Leave Support Scheme
Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme
Under this scheme, the Government provides loans to small businesses impacted by COVID-19, including sole traders and the self-employed, to support cash flow needs.
If you’ve previously applied for a SBCS and have fully repaid it, you can apply again.
Applications are open until 31 December 2023. You can apply through myIR
This loan scheme will provide assistance of up to a maximum of $100,000 to businesses employing 50 or fewer full-time employees. This includes sole traders and self-employed businesses.
Details of the loans include:
- $10,000 to be provided to eligible businesses
- an additional $1800 per equivalent full-time employee
- interest free if the loan is paid back within two years
- an interest rate of 3% for a maximum term of five years
- repayments not required for the first two years
- you must show at least a 30% drop in revenue due to COVID-19, measured over a 14-day period in the past six months compared with the same 14-day period a year ago. If your revenue from the same period a year ago was also affected by COVID-19, compare the same 14-day period two years ago.
- maximum amount you can borrow depends on the number of full-time and part-time employees.
Use the small business cash flow loan scheme eligibility tool
If your businesses doesn’t have a myIR account, you will need to create one to apply
Most applicants will receive their loan payment in full from Inland Revenue within five working days. You don’t have to accept the full loan amount you’re offered, and can decide to take a smaller loan.
Get your business online
Making sure your business has online presence is also important during alert level changes. Digital Boost is a resource which can help get your business online. Digital Boost provides free online tools to help do business online, create digital strategies, streamline business practices and use digital tools for growth. The Digital Boost programme uses self-paced training and tools and teaches skills to launch businesses into the digital world.
Contact us directly for support
Our local economy has dealt well with the effects of COVID-19 before. It has been resilient, it will be again. Please get in touch with us directly if you are needing urgent business support clarification, connect with our Whanganui & Partners team.
Advice available for the rural sector
Government-developed guidance is available for those working in the primary industries. This includes advice for farms and agricultural businesses related to changing Protection Framework phases.
Help with your tax
Inland Revenue may be able to help if your business is finding it hard to meet your tax obligations due to COVID-19.
