Will WINZ Pay for Movers or Lawn Mowing? What Work and Income Actually Covers
Search for a WINZ quote for movers in Auckland and the first page is all moving companies offering one. Every result is a mover's sales page. None of them tell you that the grant has to be paid back, that it tops out at $1,500, or that Work and Income will only pay for a moving company in particular circumstances. Those details decide whether the quote is worth getting at all.
This guide covers what Work and Income says on its own pages, checked in October 2026: the Moving Costs Grant, the separate one-off grant for leaving public housing, and the less well known question of whether WINZ will help pay for lawn mowing.
The Moving Costs Grant, in plain numbers
The Moving Costs Grant is for people moving into accommodation who don't have the money to pay for the move. You don't need to be on a benefit to get it. The main limits:
| Rule | What Work and Income says |
|---|---|
| Maximum | $1,500 in total, and no more than twice in 12 months |
| Repayment | You pay it back, on a repayment plan set to your circumstances |
| Single person income limit | Under $1,353 a week before tax |
| Couple with children | Under $2,337 a week before tax |
| Sole parent, 1 child | Under $1,846 a week before tax |
| Single person assets | Under $8,100 (your home and car don't count) |
| Couple or sole parent assets | Under $16,200 |
| How long you'll live there | Generally at least 28 days |
Work and Income can go past $1,500, or pay more than twice in a year, in an exceptional situation outside your control, such as having to move unexpectedly through no fault of your own, or family violence.
The repayment part is the one the mover pages leave out. A $1,200 grant is $1,200 you'll be paying back out of future payments. That doesn't make it a bad option, but it changes the maths on paying for a full-service crew when a smaller job would do.
When it pays for a moving company, and when it doesn't
The grant covers trailer, van or truck hire, and petrol. It covers a moving company only "if you can't help with the move", with age, illness and disability given as the examples.
So for someone who's fit and able to lift, Work and Income's starting point is a hired van or trailer and fuel, not a team of movers. If you have a reason you can't do the lifting yourself, say so when you apply, because that's what opens up the moving company option.
It doesn't cover airfares or other personal moving costs, moving overseas, or putting things into storage.
What "a WINZ quote" actually means
Work and Income asks for "proof of your moving costs, like a quote from the moving company." That's the whole requirement on its public page. Some movers advertise themselves as a "registered WINZ supplier" and say Work and Income needs quotes from businesses that meet its compliance standards. Work and Income's own page doesn't say that. If you're unsure whether a particular quote will be accepted, ask your case manager before you book anything.
If the grant is approved, Work and Income pays either you or the supplier directly, depending on the cost. If it's paid to you, it may go onto a payment card that works like an Eftpos card.
To apply, call 0800 559 009, or 0800 552 002 for Senior Services if you're on NZ Super or a Veteran's Pension.
Leaving public housing: a separate $3,000 grant you don't repay
If you're moving out of public (social) housing into a private rental by choice, there's a different payment with much better terms. The Transition to Alternative Housing Grant is $3,000, it's a one-off you can get once in your lifetime, and you don't pay it back. If two people on the public housing tenancy apply, it's split between them.
The order matters. You apply while you're still in public housing, get pre-approved, and then have six months to find a private rental under a tenancy agreement covered by the Residential Tenancies Act. Everyone in the household has to be moving out. Find the rental first and apply afterwards, and you've done it the wrong way round.
Will WINZ pay for lawn mowing?
Sometimes, through the Disability Allowance. It's a weekly payment for regular, ongoing costs caused by a disability that's likely to last at least six months. Work and Income's list of costs that can be included has "gardening, lawns and outside window cleaning" on it.
A few conditions decide whether it applies to you:
- Your health practitioner has to confirm you need the cost because of your disability.
- You'll need proof of the cost, so a regular invoice or receipt for mowing matters.
- The maximum is $82.85 a week across all your disability-related costs, not just lawns. It isn't taxed and you don't pay it back.
- If you're on a main benefit, income limits don't apply. If you're on NZ Super or not on a benefit, they do: under $870 a week before tax for a single person aged 18 or over, for example.
Inside housework isn't on that list. Work and Income's Home Help payment does cover household tasks, but only in narrower situations, such as a domestic emergency with no one else to help, or multiple births. It isn't a general cleaning subsidy.
Before you call Work and Income
Have these ready, because they're what the criteria turn on:
- For moving: where you're moving to and when, how long you expect to stay, a written quote or hire cost, and whether anything stops you helping with the move yourself.
- For a public housing move: apply before you start looking, not after you've signed a lease.
- For lawns: an appointment with your doctor to confirm the need, and a record of what you're paying for mowing.
If you're booking moving help through an app or a booking platform rather than a traditional mover, check with your case manager what form of quote they'll accept before you commit to a date. On Servy, you can request a written moving quote in the app: it comes with a quote number, issue and due dates, the job details and the total, and costs nothing unless you accept it.