Financial support for businesses affected by Omicron

There is financial support available for businesses affected by Omicron, including a new targeted COVID Support Payment, COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment, and COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme.

COVID Support Payment

A new targeted COVID Support Payment will be made available for businesses struggling with revenue during the Omicron outbreak.

Businesses struggling with revenue during the Omicron outbreak can apply for new targeted funding, as announced by the government on Monday 21st February.

Applications for the first payment open on February 28, with payments starting from March 1. The second COVID-19 Support Payment will open on 14 March and a third payment will open on 28 March.

There will be 3 payments in total, available on a fortnightly basis. The new scheme is based on the understanding that the Omicron outbreak will pass over about 6 weeks. This scheme may be extended.

Each COVID Support Payment will be $4000 per business plus $400 per full-time employee, capped at 50 FTEs or $24,000. This is the same rate as the most recent Transition Payment.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible Businesses must show a 40 percent drop in 7 consecutive days within the 6 weeks prior to the shift to Phase 2 of the Omicron response on February 15, compared to 7 days after that date.

COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment

The COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment is available for businesses, including self-employed people, to help pay their workers who cannot work from home while they wait for a COVID-19 test result.

The Short-Term Absence payment is for businesses (including self-employed) to help pay for workers who can't work from home or attend work while they wait for the results of a Covid-19 test. To be eligible, workers need to be unable to work from home and need to miss work while waiting for their test results.

There’s a one-off payment of $359 for each eligible worker. Employers or the self-employed can apply for any worker once in any 30-day period, unless a health official or doctor tells the worker to get another test.

To apply, businesses must not be getting any of the following payments at the same time for the same worker to cover any situation that is also covered by Short-Term Absence Payment.

• any other COVID-19 Wage Subsidy, or
• Leave Support Scheme payments.

You cannot get more than one COVID-19 payment for the same employee at the same time.

Find out more about the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment on the Work and Income Website.

COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme

The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is available to employers, including self-employed people, to help pay their employees who have been advised to self-isolate because of COVID-19 and can’t work at home during that period.

Find out more about the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme on the Work and Income Website.

Small Business Cashflow Scheme ‘top-up’ loan

Applications for the ‘top up’ loan to the Small Business Cashflow Scheme will open on 21 March.  Find out more on the IRD website.

Talk to us about eligibility for your business.

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