COVID-19: Assistance available for businesses and others affected by the virus…

The New Zealand Government has declared a state of emergency, and at present (until at least 22 April 2020), there are restrictions in place to help fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  A key part of the current restrictions is that non-essential places of business must be closed (but businesses can operate from home).  To ensure that the public still has access to the necessities of life, essential businesses are still allowed to remain open and operational. 

The government has announced several measures to help both essential and non-essential business during this time, including:

• Wage Subsidies;
• An Essential Worker Leave Scheme;
• A Business Finance Guarantee Scheme;
• A Mortgage Holiday Scheme;
• Assistance for businesses involved in import and export; and
• Business tax changes.

There are also measures in place for the general public, including:

• Financial help from Work and Income New Zealand;
• Protection for tenants;
• Mortgage holidays;
• Support for Māori communities and businesses;
• Increases in benefits;
• Continued access to government-funded services Sorted and MoneyTalks; and
• Increases to the Winter Energy Payment for 2020.

Things continue to change almost daily, so people are advised to keep checking the Government website for updates.  Information and guidelines are also available on the Government’s Covid-19 website. 

You can read more about Wage Subsidies or the Essential Worker Leave Scheme, or about a range of other topics on the resource page of our website.  We are also running free webinars for businesses and employers about things they need to know during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Leading law firms committed to helping clients cost-effectively will have a range of fixed-priced Initial Consultations to suit most people’s needs in quickly learning what their options are.  At Rainey Collins, we have an experienced full service team, who can answer your questions and put you on the right track.

We are set up to help you remotely via email, telephone or video call.