First Home Grant Status Checker NZ 2026

What the First Home Grant used to be

The First Home Grant, previously known as the HomeStart Grant, had been available to eligible first home buyers for close to a decade before it closed. It paid eligible KiwiSaver members a cash contribution towards their deposit on top of whatever they had saved themselves: $1,000 for every year of KiwiSaver membership, up to a maximum of $5,000 after 5 years, for an existing home, or $2,000 per year up to $10,000 after 5 years for a new build. To qualify at all you needed at least 3 years of KiwiSaver membership, the same minimum that still applies to the KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal today. The grant was paid by Kainga Ora directly towards your deposit once your application was approved and your purchase was ready to settle.

Why it closed on 22 May 2024

The First Home Grant was discontinued as a Budget 2024 decision, with Kainga Ora confirming it stopped accepting new applications from 22 May 2024. The closure was a reprioritisation of government housing spending rather than a change to KiwiSaver rules or the First Home Loan, and it applies regardless of how long an individual buyer had been saving or how close they were to purchasing. If an application had already been submitted and approved before the closure date, that is a transitional case outside what any calculator can assess; anyone in that position should confirm directly with Kainga Ora what happened to their application. For every purchase settling from 22 May 2024 onward, the grant simply does not exist as an option.

What replaced it: the two pathways that remain

Two forms of government-backed support for first home buyers are still active. The first is the KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal, which lets you take out your own contributions, your employer's contributions, the government contribution, and all the investment growth on top, as long as you have been a KiwiSaver member for at least 3 years and leave a minimum of $1,000 in your account. Unlike the old grant, this is not a fixed capped amount; it can be a much larger sum for someone who has been contributing steadily for many years, since it is based on your actual balance rather than a per-year formula. The second is the Kainga Ora First Home Loan, which is a loan feature rather than a cash payment: it lets eligible buyers purchase with a minimum 5% deposit instead of the usual 20%, and caps the low equity margin, the extra interest rate banks normally charge on low-deposit lending, at 1%. It is offered through three participating lenders, Westpac, Kiwibank and SBS Bank, and can be combined with a KiwiSaver withdrawal to make up the deposit.

Worked example

Say you have been contributing to KiwiSaver for 4 years and you are buying an existing home. Under the old rules, 4 years at $1,000 per year would have given you a $4,000 First Home Grant, short of the $5,000 cap for existing homes since that needed a full 5 years. If your settlement date is anywhere in 2026, the calculator above shows $0 for the grant itself, because it closed in May 2024, well before your purchase. Instead, if your KiwiSaver balance sits at, say, $32,000, you could withdraw $31,000 of it (leaving the required $1,000 minimum) towards your deposit under the KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal, a considerably larger figure than the $4,000 the old grant would have given you at 4 years. On a $650,000 home, a 20% deposit is $130,000, well out of reach for most buyers at this stage of saving, but under the Kainga Ora First Home Loan the deposit required drops to 5%, or $32,500, which the KiwiSaver withdrawal alone very nearly covers. This is the practical shift since May 2024: less in fixed, guaranteed grant money, but potentially far more available through the withdrawal itself, plus a lower deposit hurdle through the loan.

What this checker assumes

• The First Home Grant closure date of 22 May 2024 applies to every purchase settling on or after that date, with no exceptions modelled here.
• The historical grant figure shown is for reference and comparison only. It is not paid, cannot be claimed, and does not reduce or offset anything else on this page.
• KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal figures assume the standard 3-year membership minimum and $1,000 minimum balance rule; your own provider confirms your exact withdrawable amount.
• First Home Loan figures assume the 5% minimum deposit and 1% low equity margin cap; a participating lender assesses your full application, including income and the property itself.
• If you already had a First Home Grant application approved before 22 May 2024, this is a transitional case outside what this tool models; confirm directly with Kainga Ora.

Who this checker is for

This is for anyone who has heard of the First Home Grant and wants a fast, honest answer on whether it is still worth planning around, first home buyers who started saving years ago under the assumption the grant would eventually top up their deposit, and anyone who has come across an older article, forum thread, calculator or well-meaning friend still describing how to apply for a scheme that closed in 2024. If you already know the grant is gone and just want your real numbers, go straight to the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal Amount Calculator and the First Home Loan Eligibility Calculator linked above.

Frequently Asked Questions about the First Home Grant closure

Is the First Home Grant still available in 2026?

No. It closed permanently on 22 May 2024 as part of Budget 2024. Kainga Ora stopped accepting new applications from that date, and there is no pathway to apply now, regardless of your KiwiSaver history.

What replaced the First Home Grant?

The KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal (your own, employer and government contributions plus growth, leaving a $1,000 minimum, after 3+ years of membership) and the Kainga Ora First Home Loan (5% deposit through Westpac, Kiwibank or SBS Bank).

I had a First Home Grant application in progress before 22 May 2024. What happens to it?

This is a transitional case this calculator cannot assess. If your application was already approved before the closure date, contact Kainga Ora directly to confirm what happened to it. No applications have been accepted since 22 May 2024.

How much would I have received under the old First Home Grant rules?

$1,000 per year of KiwiSaver contribution, up to $5,000 after 5 years, for an existing home. $2,000 per year, up to $10,000 after 5 years, for a new build. A minimum of 3 years of membership was required. These figures are historical reference only; the grant is not payable.

How much of my KiwiSaver can I withdraw for a first home now?

Your own, employer and government contributions plus investment returns, leaving a minimum $1,000 balance, once you have 3+ years of membership. See the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal Amount Calculator for your actual figure.

What is the Kainga Ora First Home Loan and how is it different from the grant?

It is a loan feature, not a cash payment. It lets eligible buyers purchase with a minimum 5% deposit instead of 20%, with the low equity margin banks normally charge on low-deposit lending capped at 1%. Offered through Westpac, Kiwibank and SBS Bank.

Why did the government close the First Home Grant?

It was discontinued as a Budget 2024 decision on government housing spending priorities. Kainga Ora and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development confirmed the closure took effect 22 May 2024, with the KiwiSaver withdrawal and First Home Loan continuing as the ongoing support.

Can I get the First Home Grant retroactively if I already bought my house?

No. It had to be applied for and approved before settlement, while the scheme was open. There is no way to claim it after your purchase has gone through, and no way to claim it now the scheme has closed.

Related calculators

• KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal Amount Calculator: work out exactly how much of your KiwiSaver balance you can withdraw towards a first home deposit.
• First Home Loan Eligibility Calculator: check your position against the 5% deposit pathway.
• First Home Buyer Calculator: a full deposit plan combining your KiwiSaver withdrawal, other savings and the First Home Loan.
• First Home Buyer Total Cost Calculator: the total cash needed to buy, beyond just the deposit.
• KiwiSaver Calculator: project your KiwiSaver balance forward before you plan a withdrawal.
• First Home Buyer Guide: background on this topic.

Official NZ sources

This calculator is built from primary New Zealand sources. Always confirm current figures against the official source for your situation:

• Kainga Ora: First Home Loan, deposit requirements and participating lenders
• Inland Revenue (IRD): KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal rules
• Govt.nz: buying your first home