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Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill (No 2)

This bill is intended to improve the provision of social welfare benefits and the functioning of the overall social security system.

This bill has been accorded urgency in the House, with referral to a select committee. First detected 11 July 2026, 9:20am UTC.

Member in charge: Hon Louise Upston · Government bill · No. 284-1 · urgency accorded 30 Jun 2026 (the first reading and referral to a select committee of the)
Bill on parliament.nz → RSS

Want a say? This bill is still moving

Urgency compresses the timetable, not the politics. Until the third reading, the committee of the whole House can still amend the bill — changes are moved right up to the final vote. The channels that operate at this speed:

  • Contact the member in charge — Hon Louise Upston — whose office decides what amendments are put, and your electorate MP. Members’ offices monitor correspondence while the House sits; a specific, clause-level point travels furthest.
  • Contact the opposition spokesperson for this portfolio — they speak and move amendments in the committee stage, and concrete problems raised by affected people are exactly what they put on the record.
  • Prepare a submission — this bill was referred to a select committee, so a public submission window is likely to open. Use the bill’s parliament.nz page (“Get notifications”) to catch it the moment it opens.
  • Start or sign a petition at petitions.parliament.nz — the formal channel that stays open regardless of the House’s timetable.

Stages observed

StageSitting dayRecord
First reading 30 Jun 2026 The Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill (No 2) was read a first time and referred to the Social Services and Community Committee. source · debate & vote (Hansard)

Dates are sitting days as recorded by the Office of the Clerk; a sitting extended under urgency continues under its original day. Readings are decided by party vote: each party casts its members’ votes en bloc (proxies included), so the whole House needn’t be present and individual attendance isn’t recorded — the party-by-party tally for each reading is in that day’s Hansard, linked per stage above.

What this bill changes

AI-assisted analysis · every claim links to primary source · corrections
Published 13 Jul 2026, 7:20am UTC (separate from, and later than, the alert timestamp above) · model: claude-opus-4-8

In short: Beneficiaries whose spouse/partner is unlawfully resident or on a temporary visa are paid at the single rate with both parties' income and assets counted.

What changes
Changes a threshold A person whose spouse or partner is not entitled or eligible for a benefit is paid at the single rate, with both parties' income and assets counted as the person's.
cl 10 → Social Security Act 2018, s 19A · affects: beneficiaries, people whose spouse or partner is unlawfully resident or on a temporary entry class visa · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“The rate of benefit payable to person A is the appropriate rate for a single person (and not the rate for a person who is in a relationship).”
Creates a right The period a person on a supported living payment for restricted work capacity can undertake open employment of 15+ hours per week and keep the payment is extended from 26 weeks to 104 weeks.
cl 13 → Social Security Act 2018, s 39 · affects: people receiving a supported living payment on the ground of restricted work capacity · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“In section 39(3), replace “26 weeks” with “104 weeks”.”
Creates a right A caregiver who was receiving a supported living payment and is recovering from a live organ donation may be granted an emergency benefit at that rate for up to 12 weeks after the donation.
cl 14 → Social Security Act 2018, s 63 · affects: caregivers recovering from a live organ donation who were receiving a supported living payment · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“MSD may grant C an emergency benefit at the rate of supported living payment that C was receiving immediately before the live organ donation for a period of up to 12 weeks after the date of the live organ donation.”
Removes a right A person who would only meet the NZ superannuation residency requirements through reliance on a reciprocity agreement is not entitled to be paid it in a specified Pacific country.
cl 5 → New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001, s 31 · affects: NZ superannuation recipients in specified Pacific countries relying on reciprocity agreements · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“a person described in subsection (1) is not entitled to be paid the benefit in a specified Pacific country if that person would only meet the residency requirements in section 8(2) and (3) through reliance on a reciprocity agreement”
Removes a right A person who would only meet the residency requirements through reliance on a reciprocity agreement is not entitled to be paid a veteran's pension in a specified Pacific country.
cl 31 → Veterans’ Support Act 2014, s 191 · affects: veteran's pension recipients in specified Pacific countries relying on reciprocity agreements · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“a person described in subsection (1) is not entitled to be paid the pension in a specified Pacific country if that person would only meet the residency requirements in section 8(2) and (3) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001”
Expands a power A child disability allowance may be granted where the child is cared for in approved weekly accommodation and cared for by their parent or guardian during school holidays or weekends.
cl 16 → Social Security Act 2018, s 78 · affects: carers of children with a serious disability · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“in approved weekly accommodation (and C is cared for by their parent or guardian during school holidays or weekends).”
Changes a threshold A specified main benefit ends 28 days after the beneficiary's death where a surviving spouse, partner or child is not entitled to a lump sum accident compensation payment.
cl 18 → Social Security Act 2018, s 326 · affects: surviving spouses, partners and children of deceased beneficiaries · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“If this subsection applies to a person and a benefit, that benefit of the person ends 28 days after the date of the person’s death.”
Removes a right The housekeeper allowance increasing jobseeker support is repealed, with existing recipients able to continue it until they cease receiving jobseeker support.
cl 28 → Social Security Act 2018, Schedule 4 · affects: jobseeker support recipients receiving a housekeeper allowance · confidence: medium
The bill text this is based on
“In Schedule 4, Part 1, repeal item 2.”
Removes a right The Family Benefits (Home Ownership) Act 1964 is repealed.
cl 3 → Family Benefits (Home Ownership) Act 1964 · affects: applicants and beneficiaries under the Family Benefits (Home Ownership) Act 1964 · confidence: high
The bill text this is based on
“The Family Benefits (Home Ownership) Act 1964 (1964 No 32) is repealed.”
Who this affects
beneficiariespeople whose spouse or partner is unlawfully resident or on a temporary entry class visapeople receiving a supported living payment on the ground of restricted work capacitycaregivers recovering from a live organ donation who were receiving a supported living paymentNZ superannuation recipients in specified Pacific countries relying on reciprocity agreementsveteran's pension recipients in specified Pacific countries relying on reciprocity agreementscarers of children with a serious disabilitysurviving spouses, partners and children of deceased beneficiariesjobseeker support recipients receiving a housekeeper allowanceapplicants and beneficiaries under the Family Benefits (Home Ownership) Act 1964
Scrutiny

Taken under urgency; the compressed timetable limited scrutiny even where a committee stage existed.

Commencement: The Act comes into force on the day after Royal assent.
Retrospective: no provision identified
Gaps we can see. Clauses whose effect could not be established from the bill text alone: cl 11 (s 25 cross-reference change to jobseeker hardship grant — effect depends on unquoted text of s 20 and s 25), cl 12 (s 26 ineligibility cross-reference change — effect depends on unquoted s 25/26 text), cl 15 (s 65AAA definition of 'owns' — effect on accommodation supplement eligibility depends on unquoted definitions), cl 17 (s 304A review ground amendment — depends on unquoted s 304A text), cl 19 (s 359 recovery from spouse/partner — depends on unquoted s 359 text), cl 20 (s 361 recovery amendments — depends on unquoted s 361 text), cl 21 (s 393 benefits review committee drafting changes — procedural/wording only), cl 22 (repeal of s 397(1)(g) — effect depends on unquoted s 397 text), cl 23 (repeal of s 417(2)(b) — effect depends on unquoted s 417 text), cl 24 (s 423 accommodation supplement regulations — depends on unquoted s 68 text), cl 30 (repeal of s 190A, superseded by Legislation Act 2019 s 127).

Method: the model reads the bill as published (claude-opus-4-8); every claim above carries a verbatim span of that text, checked mechanically — claims that fail the check are dropped, not softened. Text analysed from an archived copy of the official text. Full methodology →

Source record — the urgency motion as published
30 June 2026 — scope: the first reading and referral to a select committee of the (First reading, Referral to select committee) 
A motion to accord urgency to the following business was agreed to:
- the remaining stages of:
  - the Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill;
  - the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill;
  - the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill;
  - the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill; and
  - the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill;
- the first reading and referral to a select committee of:
  - the Building Amendment Bill; and
  - the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill;
- the second reading of:
  - the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill;
  - the Crimes Amendment Bill;
  - the Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill;
  - the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill; and
  - the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (3 Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill;
- the first reading and referral to a select committee of:
  - the Community Magistrates Legislation Amendment Bill; and
  - the Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill;
- the second reading of:
  - the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill; and
  - the Emergency Management Bill (No 2);
- the first reading and referral to a select committee of the Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill (No 2);
- the discharge and re-committal to a select committee of the Regulatory Systems (Courts) Amendment Bill; and
- the remaining stages of:
  - the Regulatory Systems (Tribunals) Amendment Bill and the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill;
  - the Mental Health Bill;
  - the Plain Language Act Repeal Bill; and
  - the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Source: Daily progress in the House → · Hansard for this sitting day →