What is the Best Start payment?

Best Start is a weekly payment to help with the costs of a young child. In the first year it is usually paid to all families, and in the following years it is income tested, reducing as family income rises.

How much is Best Start?

There is a maximum weekly rate set by the government. In years two and three it reduces above an income threshold at an abatement rate. The amounts change over time, so this calculator takes them as inputs.

Families with a young child generally qualify, with the first year often universal and later years income tested. Check the current rules and your eligibility with Inland Revenue.

Best Start Payment Calculator

This calculator helps New Zealand families estimate the Best Start payment, the support available for the early years of a child life. You enter your family income and situation, and the tool estimates the payment you may receive and how it may reduce as income rises past the relevant threshold in the later years. Because the rates and thresholds are set by the government and change over time, the calculator uses current figures as inputs and points you to confirm the latest rules. The breakdown shows the estimated payment and how income affects it, helping families understand and plan around a payment that makes a real difference in the early, expensive years of raising a child.

Child year

Maximum weekly rate

Family income

Abatement threshold

Abatement rate

estimated Best Start payment per week

Per year$0

Reduced by income test$0

The maximum rate, the income threshold and the abatement rate are set by the government and change over time, so enter the current figures and confirm eligibility with Inland Revenue. Year 1 is usually paid regardless of income. Estimate only, not financial advice.

How it works

In the first year, Best Start is usually paid at the full weekly rate regardless of income. In years two and three it is income tested: if your family income is above the threshold, the payment reduces by the abatement rate on each dollar over the threshold. The calculator works out the reduction and the remaining payment, and converts the weekly figure to an annual amount, so you can see what to expect at your income level.

Worked example

At a $73 weekly maximum in year two, a family earning $80,000 with a $79,000 threshold and a 21% abatement is $1,000 over, reducing the annual payment by $210. The full year would be about $3,796, so the income test trims it to roughly $3,586, about $69 a week.

Related calculators

Working for Families Calculator: family tax credits.
Parental Leave Calculator: paid parental leave.
Cost of a Baby Calculator: first-year costs.
Minimum Family Tax Credit Calculator: minimum family income.

If you've found a bug, or would like to contact us, or learn more about James Graham and Calculate.co.nz.

Calculate.co.nz is partnered with Interest.co.nz for New Zealand's highest quality calculators and financial analysis.

All calculators and tools are provided for educational and indicative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.

Calculate.co.nz is proudly part of the Realtor.co.nz group, New Zealand's leading property transaction literacy platform, helping Kiwis understand the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Whether you're a first home buyer navigating your first property purchase, an investor evaluating your next acquisition, or a homeowner planning to sell, Realtor.co.nz provides clear, independent, and trustworthy guidance on every step of the New Zealand property transaction journey.

Calculate.co.nz is also partnered with Health Based Building and Premium Homes to promote informed choices that lead to better long-term outcomes for Kiwi households.

Calculate.co.nz is hosted in Auckland via SiteHost new Zealand.

All content on this website, including calculators, tools, source code, and design, is protected under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). No part of this site may be reproduced, copied, distributed, stored, or used in any form without prior written permission from the owner.