Citizens Advice Bureau - Hawera

10/04/2026

👉There are a lot of changes coming in from 1 April to supplementary support payments for families with children. If you are not already receiving any Working for Families entitlements and you think you might be eligible, this is a good time to find out if you meet the criteria and, if you do, how to access this support. Working for Families tax credits are a tax refund for people with dependent children. They are paid every week into your bank account.

✔You may be able to get Working for Families tax credits if you are 16 years or over and the principal caregiver of a dependent child or children on a permanent basis. You do not need to be the children's parent. You can qualify for all four payments (Family tax credit, In-work tax credit, Best Start and Minimum family tax credit), or just some of them.

To find out more about whether you are eligible and more on the changes to Working for Families tax credits, 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 cab.org.nz

[Image description: Yellow block with text and pink border, with the CAB logo underneath. Text reads “How do I find out if I am eligible for a Working for Families tax credit?”]

04/04/2026

Happy Easter everyone, we will be closed on Monday, 6th April, for Easter Monday. We will be open on Tuesday 7th, to help you with your inquiries.

03/04/2026

✔A lot is changing from 1 April 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 is 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.

[Image description: Yellow block with text and blue border, with the CAB logo
underneath. Text reads “How are my Working for Families payments changing from April 1?”]

29/03/2026

If your interested in a career with Uber pop along and chat with Debbie

🌟 Why driving with Uber could suit our community
• Work when it fits your lifestyle
• Combine it with other jobs or commitments

Residents across South Taranaki who are curious about earning on their own schedule are encouraged to register their interest in driving on the Uber platform.

📅 Come chat with Debbie
Friday, 10 April
10.00 am – 1.00 pm

Outside Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga
She’ll be there to answer questions, explain what’s involved, and help people get started.

29/03/2026

We have gotten updated Work and Income brochures. If you see anything that may be useful pop in and grab one 😊

27/03/2026

👉Did you know that in addition to supporting people with our free service of information and advice, CAB also uses the insights we gain from this mahi to advocate for laws, policies and services that protect and support peoples’ human rights and wellbeing? This is one of our aims as an organisation and has been since the birth of the CAB in Aotearoa in the early 1970s.

Every time we support a client, we record what they wanted assistance with and what we did in response. This gives us unique information about the issues affecting people in our communities. We use the insights this information gives us to seek changes that will benefit the whole community.

Our social justice mahi happens in local areas and nationally, and it can take a lot of different forms.

For example, locally it can involve giving feedback in hui with local organisations about issues affecting the community, making submissions to council, speaking with local MPs and commenting in local media.

Nationally, it includes giving feedback to government agencies, making submissions to Parliament, writing reports, speaking with Government Ministers, commenting in the media, and collaborating with others to raise awareness about issues.

We are guided in our social justice mahi by putting our clients at the centre. The experiences and needs of our clients are our foundation for speaking out and seeking change to make things better for them and for the whole community.
You can learn more about our social justice mahi and some of the issues we have been advocating on recently by visiting the social justice page on our website at:
cab.org.nz/what-we-do/social-justice

You can 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 cab.org.nz.

17/03/2026

Check out the new information surrounding consents for sleepouts and granny flats on your property 😀

🏠 You can build a sleepout or granny flat on your property without having to apply for building consent if your structure meets certain criteria. This follows new rules for granny flats that took effect from January 2026.

The new granny flats building consent exemption allows you to build a small standalone dwelling up to 70 square metres in size without a building consent, if:

✔it has a simple design and meets the Building Code
✔you notify your local council before building begins and once it is completed
✔the work is carried out or supervised by licensed building professionals
✔all exemption conditions are met.

To be able to build a sleepout without building consent, your sleepout must essentially be used as an extra bedroom to your main dwelling and have access to the main dwelling for cooking and bathroom facilities. It must not include its own kitchen, toilet or shower. It must also meet other exemption requirements in the Building Act, including size and height limits, and comply with the Building Code.

For more information on building granny flats or sleepouts, visit: cab.org.nz/article/KB00000737

[Image description: A small wooden house with a deck surrounded by trees. Text reads “I want to build a sleepout or a granny flat on my property. Do I need building consent?”]

10/03/2026

💛💛 It’s CAB Awareness Week! This is when we put a spotlight on the CAB to celebrate our mahi and highlight the support and services we offer. This year’s theme - ‘Tūturu te tangata, tūturu te tautoko – real people, real support - reflects on the fact that the CAB is a place where people can get help from a real person who will assist them with the questions, issues or challenges they are facing.

We are able to offer this person-to-person assistance because of our trained volunteers working around Aotearoa. Our volunteers are the people who deliver our service of information and advice to the public. They volunteer for the CAB because they want to support and empower people and make a difference in people’s lives.

If you need support and don’t know who to ask, or if you would like to give back to the community through volunteering with an organisation whose mahi assists people individually and also benefits the wider community, CAB could be the place for you.

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.

05/03/2026

We will be back on Tuesday to assist you with all your questions. Enjoy your long weekend 😊

If you need to speak to someone about what your rights are. Call 0800 367 222

04/03/2026

Know your rights about pet bonds 🐾

😼🐾🐶 Landlords can now charge you a pet bond (a maximum of two weeks’ rent) if you want to keep a pet on the rental property. You cannot be charged a pet bond if you already had your pet (with the landlord’s permission or permitted by your tenancy agreement) when the new pet rules came into effect in December 2025.

You can only be charged one pet bond, no matter how many pets you have. If your pet passes away or is no longer being kept at the rental property, you can ask for the bond to be refunded. You do not need to wait until the end of the tenancy. If your bond has been refunded, you may need to pay a new pet bond if you decide to get another pet. These must be lodged with Tenancy Services in the same way as a general rental bond and will also be refunded in the same way.

For more informationon pet bonds, visit: cab.org.nz/article/KB00045341

[Image description: Two people in an apartment sitting on a couch sipping on cups with a dog on their lap. Text reads “Can my landlord ask for a pet bond?”]

24/02/2026

If you’re involved in any club, community group or association, now’s the time to ask:
👉🏼Are we an incorporated society?
👉🏼Have we re-registered?

All existing incorporated societies must re-register under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 before 5 April 2026 (Easter Sunday). If your organisation doesn’t re-register, your group will no longer exist as a legal entity. This will impact on your group's bank accounts, contracts, charitable status, funding and more.

To re-register you will need to:

✔️Prepare an updated constitution.

✔️Hold a general meeting to approve the new constitution and the decision to re-register.

✔️Apply to re-register and upload your constitution online on the Companies Office website.

There’s lots of information to support you with this on the New Zealand Companies Office website, is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/law-changes-for-societies as well as a tool for creating an updated constitution, isb.companiesoffice.govt.nz/constitutionbuilder

Re-register now!

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[Image description: Text reads 'Will your club or community group exist after 5 April? Incorporated Societies need to re-register now'. Text on a yellow background with a question mark icon and the Citizens Advice Bureau logo.]