Citizens Advice Bureau Birkenhead

17/06/2026

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28/05/2026

These cuts will hit hardest for: • people struggling with the rising cost of living; • workers facing redundancy or employment issues; • tenants dealing with housing insecurity; • migrants and former refugees; • disabled people, older people, and students; • whānau experiencing hardship...

18/05/2026

13/05/2026

On Friday 15 May at 12:30pm, Citizens Advice Bureau NZ will be chatting with Whānau Āwhina Plunket about employment rights, focusing on rights that are particularly relevant for people who are pregnant or caring for babies and young children.

You are welcome to join their live Facebook chat, where they will cover topics like:
• Parental leave (including paid parental leave)
• Job protection while you are on parental leave
• Final pay
• Accommodations and flexibility on returning to paid work
• Job conditions on returning after parental leave

If you're planning a family, navigating a job change, or simply want to know where you stand at work, this could be the chat for you. Come and listen in!

21/04/2026

Two very enticing gift boxes up for grabs! What's in them and how do you get your hands on one of these? We're glad you asked :)

Enter our April Treasure Hunt 'CAB Go!' and set off exploring our wonderful neighbourhood. Once you've visited all the sites of interest and answered all the questions, you are eligible to enter the main prize draw and win one of these two prizes.

First prize:
Voucher for High Tea for two at Moxie (value $130)
$50 voucher from Crave Home
$50 voucher from Life Pharmacy Birkenhead
$25 voucher from Mulan
$20 voucher from Kids Stuff Online
30 minute Reiki Healing session from Woven Roots Apothecary based at Health2000
Easter eggs donated by New World Birkenhead

Second Prize:
$50 voucher from Crave Home
$25 voucher from Mulan
30 minute Naturopathic consult from Health2000
Easter eggs donated by New World Birkenhead

To enter, visit

CABgo.nz

or visit our office in the Birkenhead Library for a paper version of the challenge.

Many, many sincere thanks to the local businesses that sponsored us to supply these fantastic prizes!

The challenge is open until the end of April.
Let's Go!

17/04/2026

📲💻🖥️ You don’t need to toss your tech just because it’s stopped getting security updates. End of support doesn’t always mean end of life.

Consumer NZ suggests how to repurpose an old device: https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/do-you-really-need-to-dump-that-old-phone-tablet-or-computer

For more info on recycling old mobs, see: https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000729

You can contact us by calling our free CAB phone number 0800 367 222, by dropping in to see us cab.org.nz/find-a-cab (no appointment needed), or by contacting us at cab.org.nz. 💛




[pic credit: Consumer NZ]

15/04/2026

If you're looking for a FREE family activity this April, join us on a treasure hunt around our beautiful neighbourhood. Amazing prizes up for grabs including Easter eggs donated by New World, plus vouchers from Crave, Life Pharmacy, Mulan, Kids Stuff Online, Health 2000 and Moxie. Thank you to these local businesses for their support. Go to:
cabgo.nz
to enter.
The first 25 completed entries get a CAB goodie bag, and all completed entries get a chance to win 1 of 2 main prizes, drawn at the end of April. Let's go!

04/04/2026

✔A lot changed from 1 April 2026 to Working for Families payments. The Working for Families package includes the Family tax credit, In-work tax credit, the Minimum family tax credit and the Best Start payment. If you receive any of these payments, here’s what’s changing:

👉Family tax credit
The Family tax credit is the main payment for people who qualify for Working for Families. The income threshold for the Family tax credit will increase to $44,900, and the abatement rate will increase from 12 to 12.5 percent. This will mean that your payments will reduce faster the more you earn over the threshold.

👉In-work tax credit
This is for parents who receive some income from paid work, but the family income is below the threshold of $42,700. The income threshold for the In-work tax credit will increase to $44,900, and the abatement rate will increase from 12 to 12.5 percent. This will mean that your payments will reduce faster the more you earn over the threshold.
The Government is temporarily increasing the base rate of the In-work tax credit by $50 a week, taking it to $147.50 a week. This increase will run for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 for four consecutive weeks, whichever comes first.

👉Minimum family tax credit
Minimum family tax credit payments ensure working families get a minimum level of income every week. The minimum Family Tax Credit threshold will increase to $36,604 after tax per year or $703 after tax per week. If you qualify, your income will be topped up to $703 per week after tax.

👉Best Start payment
If you have just had a baby and you are registered for Working for Families tax credits, you may be eligible to receive Best Start tax credits. Best Start tax credits are for up to the first three years of your baby's life. If your baby is born on or after April 1, the first year's payment will be income tested. If your family income is below $79,000 you will receive the full entitlement of $77 a week. If your family income is over $79,000 your entitlement will be reduced for every dollar you earn over $79,000 (up to $4,041).

For more information, visit cab.org.nz/article/KB00042178

Or contact us by calling our free CAB phone number 0800 367 222, by dropping in to see us at your local CAB (no appointment needed), or by contacting us via our CAB website at www.cab.org.nz. 💛