New Zealand 2026 election: support after redundancy

Losing a job after spending years in one industry can be particularly difficult. You're not just looking for another pay cheque: you're also facing a decision about whether your existing skills still offer a viable career or whether it's time to retrain.

For your circumstances, there are four important areas to compare when looking at political parties:

1. Income support: How quickly can you receive financial assistance, and how much might you receive?
2. Eligibility: What savings, income, redundancy payments or partner income affect your entitlement?
3. Obligations: Must you accept similar work, take any suitable job, attend appointments or participate in training?
4. Retraining: Will the government help pay for courses, living costs and gaining qualifications for a different industry?

An important distinction: the benefit rules currently in force are not necessarily the same as what a party promises to change after the 2026 election. I'll separate existing entitlements from proposed political policies wherever possible.

1. What you can receive under the current rules

Before comparing parties, it's useful to understand the support available under the existing system.

Jobseeker Support

The main unemployment benefit is Jobseeker Support administered by Work and Income.

As at 30 October 2026, the main requirements include:

• Being generally aged 18 or older (20 or older if you have dependent children).
• Being unemployed and looking for full-time work.
• Meeting the income and residency requirements.
• Having the appropriate work availability and meeting ongoing obligations.

For a single person aged 25 or older, the maximum rate is currently:

Maximum Jobseeker Support

$372.55

Per week after tax, at the M tax code

Before tax

$426.12/week

Approximate monthly after-tax equivalent

$1,614

These are maximum rates, not guaranteed entitlements. Rates and income circumstances can change. Source: Work and Income, 2026 rates. Jobseeker SupportBenefit rates at 1 April 2026

Your partner's income can affect eligibility and the amount paid. For example, the current combined gross weekly income threshold for a couple without children is $1,066.

What happens to your redundancy payment?

This is particularly important in your situation.

• A genuine redundancy lump sum is included when Work and Income calculates your initial stand-down.
• Depending on the amount, you may face a one- or two-week stand-down.
• Redundancy compensation is treated differently from ordinary wages, holiday pay and payment in lieu of notice.

You should not assume that receiving a redundancy payment automatically disqualifies you from Jobseeker Support. Stand-down periodsRedundancy payments

Help with rent

You may also qualify for:

• Accommodation Supplement: assistance with rent, board or home ownership costs.
• Temporary Additional Support: additional help if essential living costs exceed your available income.
• Transition to Work Grant: help with certain costs associated with getting a new job, including travel, clothing and living expenses until your first pay.

Accommodation Supplement has income and asset tests. Its cash asset limits are currently $8,100 for a single person and $16,200 for a couple or sole parent. Accommodation SupplementRedundancy support

What obligations come with Jobseeker?

Under the existing rules, a work-ready recipient is generally expected to:

• Look for full-time work, usually at least 30 hours a week.
• Be available for suitable employment.
• Accept suitable job offers, including temporary and part-time opportunities.
• Attend required interviews and appointments.
• Participate in employment programmes or training when directed.
• Keep Work and Income informed about changes in circumstances.

Failure to meet obligations without a sufficient reason can result in benefit reductions or suspension. Jobseeker Support obligationsJobseeker Support obligations

One particularly relevant point: you cannot necessarily choose full-time retraining instead of job searching while receiving Jobseeker Support. Full-time study generally makes you ineligible for Jobseeker Support, although StudyLink may offer assistance under different conditions.

2. How the major parties differ

The following comparison covers the main parties contesting the 2026 election. It distinguishes announced election commitments from broader policy positions.

National Party

National Party

National's approach emphasises employment, personal responsibility and stronger conditions on benefit recipients.

Its 2026 commitments include:

• More intensive employment assistance for 30,000 work-ready people who have been receiving Jobseeker for more than a year.
• Reducing Jobseeker payments for people who have received the benefit for two of the previous three years, from April 2028. Households with children would face a smaller reduction.
• Random drug testing as part of employment planning.
• A 26-week non-entitlement period for people who repeatedly leave employment voluntarily without good reason, up from 13 weeks.
• Increasing the minimum residency period for main benefits from two to five years, from April 2028.

What this could mean for you: National proposes additional employment assistance, but also stronger conditions and longer-term financial consequences.

Its approach places considerable emphasis on moving into available employment rather than remaining on a benefit while considering a career change. A firm, fair and affordable welfare system2026 Election Policy

Labour Party

New Zealand Labour Party

Labour's 2026 platform emphasises employment opportunities, vocational training and cost-of-living support.

Its announced policies include:

• Apprenticeship Boost: support for employers taking on apprentices.
• Start Work Now: employment-related initiatives.
• Backing Māori into Skilled Work: Māori-led training to help people enter skilled, better-paid employment.
• Small-business support intended to encourage employment and business growth.
• Fairer workplace policies.

Labour also proposes measures to reduce household expenses, including a public transport fare cap.

What this could mean for you: Labour's published programme has a relatively strong focus on pathways into work and vocational skills. However, its published 2026 platform does not set out a comparably detailed replacement for the current Jobseeker eligibility and obligations system.

It is important not to assume that Labour would automatically remove all existing work-search requirements or sanctions. Labour's 2026 Election PoliciesLabour's 2026 Election Policies

Green Party

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Greens advocate a more supportive welfare system, with a greater emphasis on financial security and individual circumstances.

Their published social support proposals include:

• Increasing baseline benefit payments.
• Removing benefit sanctions.
• Increasing the income threshold before benefits are reduced.
• Moving towards individual rather than household-based entitlement assessments.
• Improving financial support for people entering training and employment.

The Greens have also recently announced plans to abolish the training wage and increase the apprentice toolbox allowance to $2,000.

What this could mean for you: The Greens' approach places more emphasis on allowing people to maintain financial stability while they improve their circumstances.

For someone considering retraining, their position on benefit sanctions and the treatment of income from part-time work is particularly relevant. However, the precise eligibility and implementation details of any replacement system need to be checked. Putting the heart back into our social support systemGreen Party to abolish training wage and provide more support for apprentices

ACT Party

ACT New Zealand

ACT advocates a strongly conditional welfare system, with employment expectations and personal responsibility at its centre.

Its announced welfare proposals include:

• Mandatory electronic money management for work-ready Jobseeker recipients who have been receiving benefits for more than four months.
• Directing benefit spending towards essentials such as rent, food, power, transport and healthcare.
• Blocking specified purchases and cash withdrawals through the payment card.
• More stringent medical certification requirements for health-related benefits.

What this could mean for you: If you are work-ready and receiving Jobseeker Support for several months, ACT's proposed money-management system could affect how you access and spend your benefit.

ACT's proposal is particularly relevant if you expect to need income support for an extended period while considering your next career move. ACT New ZealandACT New Zealand

New Zealand First

New Zealand First

New Zealand First's published 2026 programme focuses on economic development, employment, cost of living and regional growth.

Its commitments include:

• Increasing the minimum wage annually for three years.
• Increasing Working for Families assistance.
• Lowering company tax for qualifying small and medium businesses.
• Investing in infrastructure and regional economic development.
• Reforming skilled work visas around occupational shortages.

What this could mean for you: Its business and regional development policies may have indirect employment benefits, particularly if new investment creates jobs in your industry or region.

However, its published election programme does not provide a detailed new Jobseeker Support framework or a specific comprehensive retraining entitlement for redundant workers. Our Policy

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori's approach focuses on stronger welfare provision, lifting incomes and community-led economic development.

Its published positions include:

• Strengthening welfare so families are not punished for being poor.
• Raising incomes to support a dignified standard of living.
• Removing barriers to education and training.
• Supporting Māori-led education and employment programmes.
• Investing in Māori enterprise and economic development.

What this could mean for you: Its approach emphasises social and financial support alongside training and community-based employment pathways.

Its published platform provides broad commitments, but less detail on the precise Jobseeker payment rates, eligibility thresholds and work obligations that would apply to a person in your circumstances. Policy

3. Side-by-side comparison

This table summarises the main differences relevant to someone who has been made redundant and is deciding whether to retrain.

Party	Income support philosophy	Sanctions and obligations	Training and employment
National	Conditional safety net	Stronger conditions and longer-term reductions	Targeted employment assistance
Labour	Employment and skills development	No comprehensive replacement framework announced	Apprenticeships and skilled-work pathways
Greens	Higher and more flexible support	Proposes removing sanctions	Greater support for training and part-time work
ACT	Strongly conditional support	Electronic money management after four months	Emphasis on returning to employment
NZ First	Employment and economic growth	No detailed new framework announced	Business growth and regional employment
Te Pāti Māori	Stronger welfare and income security	Opposes punitive approaches to poverty	Māori-led education and training

These are differences in announced policy direction, not guarantees of what a future coalition government would implement.

4. The particularly important question: can you retrain while receiving support?

This is where I would pay especially close attention to party policies.

There are three different situations:

A. Looking for similar employment

You remain on Jobseeker Support, actively applying for appropriate positions.

• You retain access to the existing income-support framework if eligible.
• You can participate in employment-related training.
• Work and Income may refer you to courses and employment programmes.

B. Retraining while looking for work

You undertake a course while continuing to meet your job-search obligations.

• Some part-time study may be possible.
• You need to tell Work and Income about your study.
• You should confirm that the course and timetable are compatible with your obligations before enrolling.

C. Full-time retraining

You decide to stop looking for work temporarily and undertake full-time study.

• Jobseeker Support generally isn't available to full-time students.
• You may qualify for a Student Allowance or Student Loan through StudyLink.
• Eligibility depends on the course, your circumstances and the relevant StudyLink rules.

The distinction matters because a government could have generous training policies but still leave a gap in living-cost support for someone who wants to retrain full-time.

5. An important development in the current legislation

The 2026 Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Act was passed on 3 September 2026.

Some provisions commence on 2 November 2026, with further provisions commencing in April 2027.

One of the changes introduces parental-income requirements for certain younger Jobseeker applicants. This is more relevant to younger people than to someone established in their career, but it illustrates why the actual legislation matters alongside election promises. Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Act 2026

You can read the legislation here:

Social Security (Jobseeker Support and Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Act 2026.

6. What I would investigate before making your decision

There are three financial questions worth examining before committing to another career.

1. How long can you manage on income support? Work out your rent, essential bills and available savings against the actual benefit entitlement.
2. How transferable are your existing skills? Retraining might not require starting from scratch. Some qualifications or short courses could make you employable in an adjacent industry.
3. Can you receive financial support while studying? Compare StudyLink, employer-supported training, apprenticeships and Work and Income employment programmes.

Work and Income also has a dedicated redundancy service that can help with job searches, CVs, interviews, training opportunities and financial assistance. You can approach them before your employment officially ends. Redundancy supportYou're not working

7. Where to compare the parties' actual policies

For independent comparisons, these are useful resources:

• Policy.nz – 2026 election policy comparison — compare parties on incomes, employment and benefits.
• The Conversation – 2026 election policy tracker — track published commitments across parties.
• Work and Income – Jobseeker Support — current eligibility and payment rules.
• Work and Income – Redundancy support — assistance specifically for people made redundant.

8. Let's make this relevant to your circumstances

There are a few details that would make a substantial difference to understanding which policies matter most in your situation.

I would particularly like to distinguish between someone who needs immediate financial assistance while searching for work and someone who needs the freedom to retrain without losing their financial security.

One question to start with:

What industry have you worked in for most of your career?

That will help me identify whether there are realistic adjacent career pathways, what retraining might involve, and which parties' employment and training proposals are most relevant to examine.

I can then put together a more focused comparison of the 2026 parties covering the things that matter most: weekly income, rent assistance, redundancy treatment, training costs, eligibility and whether you would be expected to accept a job outside your previous industry.

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