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From today, October 1, thousands more Kiwi families can apply for extra support with early childhood education (ECE) costs under the Government’s expanded FamilyBoost scheme.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the changes would ease the pressure on households and make the refunds more generous.
“The expansion of the scheme means more families are eligible for FamilyBoost, and the refunds are more generous,” Willis said in a statement.
“Now, households with combined incomes up to just under $230,000 are eligible – this was previously capped at $180,000.
Meanwhile, eligible households can now claim back 40 per cent of their ECE costs, up to a maximum of $300 a week. This was previously set at 25 per cent.”
Families can now submit claims for ECE costs from July to September this year.
Willis urged parents to check if they qualify by checking on Inland Revenue’s website.
More than 68,000 households have already received support through the scheme. Willis says the changes would make “life with a little one that much easier.”
“The Government knows every little bit helps, and I encourage any family with children in ECE to check their eligibility and apply, so they have more money in their pockets, and can focus on the things that matter most,” she says.
Under the new rules, a family with $100 a week in fees will now receive $40 back, compared with $25 previously – an increase worth $780 a year. The income threshold increase means about 21,000 more households can now access the subsidy.
