Accommodation Security Cover

What Is This Grant?

The Accommodation Security Cover is a discretionary special-needs grant administered by Work and Income for security expenses related to maintaining or securing your accommodation. It sits inside the same family of housing grants as the Bond Grant and the Arrears Grant, but it has a sharply different purpose: it pays for the ad-hoc security costs that pop up when something at the property breaks, fails or has to be replaced for safety reasons.

Distinct from the Bond Grant (which pays the rental bond at the start of a new tenancy) and the Accommodation Costs Arrears Grant (which clears past-due rent or board), the Security Cover handles one-off items: locksmith fees after a relationship breakdown or burglary, replacement keys, repair of broken locks, security doors or keypads, alarm-system contributions in some hardship cases, and utility-connection security deposits where the deposit is the only barrier to keeping the tenancy intact.

The most distinctive feature is its broader accommodation scope. Unlike the Bond Grant, Arrears Grant and Accommodation Costs in Advance — all of which are tied to renting or boarding — the Security Cover IS available to mortgage holders. Work and Income recognises that home owners can also face security emergencies (a back door kicked in during a break-in, a lock tampered with after a separation) and need help paying for repairs they did not budget for.

Funding is recoverable. Approval comes with a standard fortnightly deduction repayment plan, sized so the grant is paid back over a reasonable period without forcing the recipient back into hardship.

How Much Can You Get?

The Accommodation Security Cover is an eligibility-only rule in the Benefit Check engine: the rule flags whether you meet the gates, and the actual dollar amount is set by the Work and Income case manager based on the security expense quoted at the appointment.

• Typical range: $80 to $500 for locksmith call-outs and lock or keypad changes, with larger amounts approved for utility-connection security deposits or alarm contributions in genuine hardship cases.
• Quote-based: the recipient typically obtains a written quote from the service provider (locksmith, security firm, utility company), and Work and Income approves up to that quoted amount.
• Repayment plan: 12-week to 12-month repayment plans are standard, scaled to the amount of the grant and the recipient's fortnightly income.
• Direct payment: in many cases the grant is paid directly to the service provider rather than to the recipient, which speeds up the work and removes any temptation to spend the cash on something else.

Eligibility Conditions

1. accommodation_type in {renting, mortgage, boarding} — you must live in one of these three housing situations. Free accommodation, emergency-housing motel rooms paid by the state, and homelessness sit outside this rule.
2. Demonstrable security-related expense at the property — a broken lock, a needed key replacement, a damaged keypad, an alarm fault, or a utility-connection security deposit that is required to maintain the tenancy.
3. Inability to pay from own resources — you cannot reasonably cover the cost from current income, savings or available credit. Bank statements are typically reviewed.
4. NZ residency — ordinarily resident in New Zealand and holding citizenship, permanent residence or a qualifying visa.
5. Quote or invoice from the supplier — an itemised written quote (locksmith, security firm, utility) is normally required so the case manager can approve a defined amount.

How To Apply

Apply through Work and Income, in person where possible, so the case manager can assess the security expense alongside any related safety context.

• Channel: Work and Income service centre — phone first to request a same-day or next-day appointment for a special-needs grant.
• Evidence to bring: the written quote from the supplier, photo identity, accommodation evidence (tenancy agreement, mortgage statement or boarding receipt), recent bank statements showing limited funds, and a police report or Protection Order if the expense relates to a break-in or relationship-violence safety issue.
• Timeline: 1 to 5 working days for a standard decision; safety-related cases (locksmith after relationship breakdown, burglary lock replacement) are usually approved the same day.
• Repayment plan: signed at approval. The fortnightly deduction is calculated to fit alongside any existing benefit payments.

Open the official application page →

Rule-Based Scenarios

Tarja — sole parent renter after relationship breakdown. Tarja rents a three-bedroom unit in Lower Hutt with two school-age children. After a separation in which her former partner kept a set of keys, she needs the front and back door barrels rekeyed and the alarm key-fob reset. The locksmith quotes $250 for a same-day rekey of both doors, and the alarm company quotes $80 for the new fob and reset. The case manager records both quotes, confirms the safety context with a copy of the Protection Order, and approves $330 as a recoverable advance with a 26-week repayment plan deducted from her Sole Parent Support payment.

Ubaldo — home owner with a mortgage after a burglary. Ubaldo owns and lives in a Christchurch unit with a $420,000 mortgage. Overnight, intruders force the back door, breaking the lock and damaging the door frame. He cannot stay there safely until it is fixed. A glazier and locksmith quote $400 for the lock and frame repair; a security firm quotes a smaller $200 contribution toward a basic alarm sensor at the back door. Because Ubaldo is a mortgage holder — uniquely covered by this grant — the case manager approves the $400 lock work and a partial $200 alarm contribution as a recoverable advance, paid directly to the suppliers, with a 12-month repayment plan.

Vesna — boarder needs a key replacement. Vesna boards in a four-tenant flat in Hamilton and pays $180 a week. She loses her room key and front-gate fob during a hospital stay; the boarding-house manager refuses to issue replacements without payment. The locksmith quotes $50 for a duplicate room key and a new fob. Because the cost is small but blocks her from re-entering her boarding accommodation, the case manager approves the $50 grant the same day and pays the locksmith directly, with the recoverable amount deducted from her next two Jobseeker Support payments.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing the Security Cover with the Bond Grant. The Bond Grant pays the rental bond at the start of a new tenancy. The Security Cover pays for ad-hoc security expenses at an existing or new home (locks, keys, alarms, security deposits). Applying for the wrong one delays the actual payment you need.
• Applying without a written quote. Work and Income usually needs an itemised quote from the locksmith, security firm or utility provider before approving the amount. Verbal estimates or vague figures cause the case manager to send you away to get the paperwork before any decision is made.
• Treating it as ongoing support. The grant is a one-off discretionary advance. Recurring security costs (monthly alarm monitoring, ongoing key-card fees) are the homeowner's or tenant's normal responsibility and will not be covered repeatedly.
• Mistakenly thinking mortgage holders are excluded. Uniquely among the housing grants, the Security Cover does cover mortgage holders. Many home owners self-disqualify and never apply, leaving them paying out of pocket for repairs they could have had assisted.
• Failing to flag the safety angle. Locksmith fees driven by relationship breakdown, family violence or burglary are processed faster when the safety context is clearly stated and supported by a Protection Order or a police report. Burying the safety reason inside a generic story slows approval.
• Forgetting it is recoverable. The grant is not a gift; it is a recoverable advance. The repayment plan begins almost immediately by fortnightly deduction, so plan your budget around the new outgoing as part of the approval.

Related Benefits

• Bond Grant — covers the rental bond at a new tenancy. A different one-off purpose; commonly applied for alongside the Security Cover when an entire move follows a security incident.
• Accommodation Costs Arrears Grant — clears past-due rent or board so a tenancy is not lost. Complementary if a security incident has also pushed the rent into arrears.
• Accommodation Supplement — the ongoing weekly housing subsidy. The Security Cover is a separate one-off grant and stacks on top of any Accommodation Supplement entitlement.
• Accommodation Costs in Advance — covers up-front rent at a new tenancy. Pairs with the Security Cover when tenants are moving home after a security incident.
• Moving Costs Grant — physical relocation costs (truck, packing). Relationship-breakdown moves often combine the Moving Costs Grant with the Security Cover for new locks at the new property.
• Transition to Alternative Housing — for public-housing tenants required to relocate. Security setup costs at the new property may be covered separately by the Security Cover.