Covid 19 coronavirus: $144 million in wage subsidies paid out during last lockdown

More than $140 million has been paid out to businesses in the latest version of the Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme. File photo / Bevan Conley

By RNZ

More than $140 million has been paid out to businesses in the latest version of the Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme.

The scheme was triggered when Auckland went into alert level 3 for seven days at the end of February, and the rest of the country went into level 2.

So far, almost 46,000 applications have been approved, with almost $144m paid out.

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The subsidy of $585 a week for full-time staff, and $350 for part-time staff, helps employers cover their wages over a two-week period.

To be eligible, businesses must have experienced a 40 per cent decline in revenue because of the alert level change, compared to a typical two-week period in the six weeks before the alert level changes.

Applications close at midnight on Sunday.

Under the original wage subsidy scheme, announced during last year's nationwide lockdown, and the two subsequent schemes, $14 billion was paid out.

- RNZ