Applications for first 3 payments of RSP close on 1 December.
When the Resurgence Support Payments Scheme was created, applications were able to be made until one month after all of New Zealand had returned to COVID Alert Level 1. The recent announcement of a move to the COVID-19 Protection Framework means the Alert Level system is being replaced. This means a new approach is needed to when applications for the RSP will close. It also requires a new approach to determining the end date of the period during which a decline in revenue must occur.
The Government has decided for the first three payments available during the current change in Alert Levels, the decline in revenue must happen on or before November 1. It has also been decided that people will be able to apply for payments until the first business day that is one month after that date, which is December 1.
Some things to note:
For payments currently available, a business must show a 30% decline in revenue over a continuous seven-day period at the raised Alert Level compared to a typical seven-day period in the six weeks prior to 17 August 21.
The newly updated dates are:
For the 1st Resurgence Support Payment, the seven-day period of revenue decline must fall between 17th August and 1st November. People can apply until 1 December.
For the 2nd Resurgence Support Payment, the seven-day period of revenue decline must fall between 8th September and 1st November. People can apply until 1 December.
For the 3rd Resurgence Support Payment, the seven-day period of revenue decline must fall between 1st October and 1st November. People can apply until 1 December.
For the 4th Resurgence Support Payment, the seven-day period of revenue decline can start no earlier than 22 October, and the Government did not address the end date to this period.
RSP payments to increase and become fortnightly
The Government has announced that the Resurgence Support Payments will be available fortnightly, from 12 November, at double the current amount, which will continue until Auckland shifts to the COVID-19 Protection Framework.
The 4th Resurgence Support Payments which is available from 29 October through myIR, will remain at the current rate of $1,500 plus $400 per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee, up to a maximum of 50 FTE.
For the payments starting on 12 November, this will be $3000 per business and $800 per FTE, up to 50 FTEs. This will make the maximum fortnightly payment $43,000.
The frequency of the payments will also change. They will be available fortnightly, on 12 November, until Auckland moves into the new Covid Protection Framework.
The estimated cost of providing both the weekly RSP and the wage subsidy is up to $940 million per fortnight through this transitional period.
The enhanced RSP will be available until Auckland moves into the new framework. The Wage Subsidy will continue to be available on the current criteria while areas of the country are still in Alert Level 3
Case studies of support available for businesses over an indicative 6 weeks, currently and including extra support for the transition period