Support available includes housing grants
ASB has made its Support Finder tool accessible to all New Zealanders, in a move to help those grappling with increased living costs access what government support may be available to them.
The Support Finder tool was introduced in 2021 to connect customers to support payments provided by the Ministry of Social Development and Inland Revenue they may be eligible for; and has since helped thousands of ASB customers access more than $27 million in support payments.
The tool has also been expanded to include more support options, now including 26 government benefits and payments, such as benefits and payments for students, jobseekers, those needing emergency food and housing grants, childcare subsidies including sole and young parent payments, transition to work grants, and more.
Before Support Finder can guide users to relevant government agencies where they can find support, they are first asked a few simple questions to determine if they may be eligible for financial help.
Celia Pankhurst, ASB’s head of customer advocacy, said Support Finder will benefit all New Zealanders in need, including those who may be unaware of their eligibility, and are dipping into savings or borrowing money to bridge gaps.
“Whether you bank with us or not, we want to connect every Kiwi to the support that’s available to them,” Pankhurst said. “Through our own customers, we see the impact the rising cost of living is having; from food inflation at its highest in 30 years to increases in rent and mortgages, we want to point New Zealanders doing it tough in the right direction.”
Savings balances are also in decline, with average Kiwis’ savings account now down by $467 compared to July last year.
“We’d encourage anyone interested in finding out what government benefits they’re eligible for to make use of our Support Finder tool,” Pankhurst said.
Use the comment section below to tell us how you felt about this.
