With the return of COVID-19 to New Zealand and the resulting changes to Alert Levels and partial lockdown, we want to reassure our customers that we are here to help them. If you feel like you have been affected by the resurgence and the lockdown in Auckland, please do get in touch with us and we will be happy to help you.

On Sunday 30 August 2020 at 11:59pm Auckland will move to Alert Level 2, with gathering restrictions. The rest of New Zealand also remains at Alert Level 2. These settings will be in place for 1 week and will be reviewed again before Sunday 6 September 2020.

From 11:59pm on Sunday 30 August 2020 New Zealanders will have to wear a mask or face covering on all forms of public transport including on buses, trains, ferries, planes, taxis and Ubers.

Our Customer Team are available if you have any uncertainty about your loan with us, FREE call us on 0800 27 28 36 or email us at repayments@savemybacon.co.nz.

If you are feeling unwell, or need any health advice, visit the Ministry of Health website.

From the 8th June, New Zealand is at alert level 1. See more details here.

New Zealand is now focusing on:

• Robust border controls
• Continued surveillance and testing
• Contact tracing capability and rapid isolation of new cases
• Public support to prevent any further spread, like good hygiene and keeping records of movement
• 
  

  See our elimination strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand.

On Wednesday 13th May at midnight, New Zealand moved into Alert Level 2. On Monday 25th of May the Government announced that we would increase the number of people allowed to attend social gatherings to 100.

The Government will look into whether we can move to Alert Level 1 on June 22nd.

For more information on what this means visit the New Zealand Government Official Site for COVID-19 at covid19.govt.nz.

If you are feeling unwell, or need any health advice, visit the Ministry of Health website.

On April 27th at midnight New Zealand moved into Alert Level 3. We will remain in Alert Level 3 for 2 weeks until Cabinet reviews for a further decision on the 11th May.

For more information on what this means visit the New Zealand Government Official Site for COVID-19 at covid19.govt.nz.

If you are feeling unwell, or need any health advice, visit the Ministry of Health website.

On March 25th at midnight the Government raised our alert level to Alert Level 4 – Eliminate. On April 27th at midnight we moved from Level 4 to Level 3.

For more information on what this means visit the New Zealand Government Official Site for COVID-19 at covid19.govt.nz.

If you are feeling unwell, or need any health advice, visit the Ministry of Health website.

Your financial wellbeing is important to us. After a period of uncertainty due to COVID-19 we have re-commenced limited lending to customers in essential services and eligible customers who are still working from home. This is to ensure financial safety for our customers. Helping you during this difficult time is extremely important to us and we have been working hard to offer responsible lending options as soon as possible.

We are here to talk and help you during this difficult time! FREE call us on 0800 27 28 36 or email us at loans@savemybacon.co.nz. Over the next four weeks our opening hours will be 8am-5pm.  Our team is working from home, so please bear with us. We will respond within 24 hours.

If your financial situation has changed, and you are worried about your finances, don’t panic! You may be eligible for the Government Wage Subsidy package, created to support businesses and their employees significantly impacted by COVID-19. For more information visit the employment.govt.nz help page.

We are here to help. Please contact one of our customer team members if you need to discuss your payment schedule. FREE call us on 0800 27 28 36 or email us at hello@savemybacon.co.nz

It is important that you get in touch with us if you are worried that you may miss a payment or can’t make a payment in your schedule. We understand the sudden changes related to COVID-19 mean that many of our customers have reduced hours, are waiting for a response from their employer regarding their wage or are waiting for confirmation of the government subsidy.

We are happy to speak to you about your repayment schedule and reduce repayments to make them more affordable or put immediate payments on hold to ensure you don’t miss a payment which will damage your credit score.

FREE call us on 0800 27 28 36 or email us at repayments@savemybacon.co.nz. Over the next four weeks our opening hours will be 8am-5pm.  Our team is working from home, so please bear with us. We will respond within 24 hours.

Be sure to check with your employer, businesses that will qualify for the wage subsidy package include: employers that are struggling to retain employees, sole traders, self-employed, existing businesses, registered charities, non-government organisations, incorporated societies, post settlement governance entities and new businesses less than a year old.

You can search the Governments database to see if you employer has applied for and received a payment for the subsidy here.

The subsidy is $585.80 per week for full time employees (20hrs or more) or $350.00 per week for part time employees (less than 20 hours).

The Government has announced a new scheme for when the current Wage Subsidy Scheme ends. The Wage Subsidy Extension payment will be available to support employers who are still significantly affected by COVID-19. The extension will be available from 10th June 2020 until 1st September 2020. Eligible employers will need to reapply once their current 12-week subsidy has ended.

The weekly rates will be the same as under the current Wage Subsidy. The Extension will provide an 8-week payment per employee from the date the application was submitted, paid to the employer as a lump sum.

For more information see the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Extension page on Work and Income here.

The Government is offering a new COVID-19 support payment to Kiwis who lose their job (including self-employed Kiwis) as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. If you lost your job from the 1st March 2020 to 30th October 2020, you may be eligible for the COVID-19 Income Relief Payment. It is available from the 8th June 2020.

You could get up to 12 weeks of payments, to help with living costs after a sudden job loss, and give you time to find other work. If you need support before this date, Work and Income may be able to help you with a benefit or other support in the meantime.

Find out more and apply online for the Income Relief Payment from 8th June 2020 here.

Payment will be available to support people financially if they:

• Need to self-isolate (as determined by the Ministry of Health guidelines),
• Cannot work because they are sick with COVID-19, or
• Cannot work because they are caring for dependents who are required to self-isolate or are sick with COVID-19

The COVID-19 Leave Payment will be available for 8 weeks from 17 March 2020. Employers will be able to apply for this more than once. It will be paid to employers who have eligible employees and they must pass the payment onto their employees in full.

Who can qualify for the Leave Payment – employers, contractors, sole traders or the self-employed may qualify to get the COVID-19 Leave Payment.

The COVID-19 Leave Payment will be paid at a flat rate of:

• $585.80 to a person working 20 hours or more per week
• $350.00 to a person working less than 20 hours per week

Employers receiving the payment for employees who are required to self-isolate can receive it for 14 days. As people may be required to self-isolate more than once, employers will be able to apply for this on an ‘as needed’ basis. It can be paid for the entire period an employee is sick (or looking after a dependent person who is sick) with COVID-19 but the employer must apply every 14 days.

The Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank announced a major financial support package for homeowners affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The package will include a 6-month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders whose incomes have been affected by the economic disruption from COVID-19. The specific details of this initiative are being finalised and agreed urgently and banks will make these public in the coming days. We’ll keep you updated!

If you’ve lost your job, can’t work at the moment or your income has been reduced, you may be able to get a benefit or some other financial help from Work and Income.

In emergencies, Work and Income can help you with costs you don’t have any other way of paying. If you’re struggling to meet your living costs or have had an unexpected bill, they might be able to help you, even if you’re working. Contact them if you:

• Would like assistance
• Aren’t sure if you can get assistance
• Are struggling to support yourself, or your family
• Would like more information

Work and Income may be able to help with urgent costs like:

• Food
• Accommodation costs (rent, mortgage, board)
• Power, gas and water bills or heating
• Medical and dental costs
• Bedding

Even if you don’t think you qualify, call Work and Income on 0800 559 009 (Monday to Friday 7am–6pm, Saturday 8am – 1pm) to check your eligibility. There may be other options available and Work and income can point you in the right direction.

Most weekly benefits have a stand-down. This is a period of time where you can’t get any money from Work and Income. It’s usually 1 or 2 weeks after your application is approved.

The Government has decided to remove stand-downs as part of its response to COVID-19. If you’re eligible for a benefit between 23 March 2020 and 23 November 2020, you won’t have a stand-down.

You’ll start getting your payments the week after your application is approved. This is because Work and Income pay you for the week that’s just been. This is called arrears. They will let you know when this happens.

Work and Income also talk with you about ways they may be able to help until you get your first benefit payment.

Emergencies are usually unexpected, sudden and overwhelming. It's natural to feel emotionally and physically drained.

You’re not alone in this and you don’t need to cope on your own. Friends and family members not affected by the event can help you cope.

You can get more help and information from:

• Your GP or local community health centre
• Youthline 0800 376 633 or www.youthline.co.nz
• Rural Support Trust 0800 RURAL HELP
• Need To Talk by calling or texting 1737
• In an emergency always call 111

If you work, your employer may be part of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and will be able to provide you with those details.

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