Each year, the government offers a bonus (called a government contribution) to help boost your KiwiSaver account. This is a great way to get closer to your KiwiSaver goals. Here’s how you can get the maximum government contribution for KiwiSaver.
What is the Government Contribution?
The government contribution is an annual bonus from the New Zealand government for eligible KiwiSaver members. You are usually eligible if you:
For more details about eligibility, please click here
You can get up to $521.43 per year from the government. To get this maximum amount, you need to contribute at least $1,042.86 to your KiwiSaver account each year. Even if you can’t contribute that much, you can still get some government money. For every dollar you contribute, the government adds 50 cents, up to a maximum of $521.43 per year. Here’s how it breaks down:
| Your personal contributions | KiwiSaver government contribution | |
| Weekly | Annual | Annual |
| Over $20 | Over $1,042.86 | $521.43 Max |
| $20 | $1,042.86 | $521.43 |
| $15 | $781.14 | $390.57 |
| $10 | $521.43 | $260.71 |
How to Get the Maximum Government Contribution
If you’re an employee, your contributions come from your salary. If this isn’t enough to reach $1,042.86, you can make extra voluntary contributions to get the maximum government money.
If you’re self-employed, you can make voluntary contributions directly to your KiwiSaver account.
Remember, the government contribution is calculated yearly, from July 1 to June 30. To get the full $521.43, you need to contribute $1,042.86 by June 30 each year.
Getting the maximum government contribution is a great way to boost your savings. If you do this every year, you could get over $5,000 in your KiwiSaver account from government contributions alone after ten years (not including any investment returns or losses). This can help you get closer to your retirement savings goals.
How to Check Your Contributions
To see if you’ve contributed enough, log in to the member portal on the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme website. Click on the “Maximising GCs” tab to see a summary of your qualifying contributions for the year and find out if you’ve reached the target or how much more you need to contribute.
Make the most of this government bonus and boost your KiwiSaver savings today!
