{"id":211355,"date":"2026-01-01T09:23:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T09:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/211355\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T09:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T09:23:15","slug":"how-theyll-affect-your-wallet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/211355\/","title":{"rendered":"How they’ll affect your wallet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Motorists will pay more to register their vehicles from today, but prescription costs will drop in February – all part of a series of changes rolling out in the new year.<\/p>\n

The cost adjustments come as the Government implements a range of policies across prescription costs, tertiary study and KiwiSaver, among others, throughout early 2026.<\/p>\n

Some are just minor adjustments to fees, while others represent new systems or rules coming into effect. <\/p>\n

Here’s a rundown of what’s set to change over the next few months.<\/p>\n

‘Early 2026’<\/p>\n

Homeowners will be able to build granny flats on their properties from early 2026 when new housing legislation takes effect. <\/p>\n

Plans to cut costs and rules for building have been welcomed as a way to reduce homelessness, but concerns are raised about quality control. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

The changes will enable property owners to build secondary dwellings on their sections without requiring the level of resource consent previously needed.<\/p>\n

The legislation is designed to increase housing supply by making it easier for homeowners to add units on their existing properties.<\/p>\n

Expected to be particularly helpful for families wanting to house elderly relatives or adult children, ministers say the move will also provide opportunities for additional rental income.<\/p>\n

The specific start date in early 2026 will be set by an order in council – a change made by the government without legislation being passed. <\/p>\n

January<\/p>\n

Rego fees rising<\/p>\n

From January 1, vehicle registration fees will rise by around $25, following a government decision to increase the charges. The hike applies to all vehicle classes and will be collected when motorists renew their registration.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The cost of an annual licence for a petrol-running private passenger vehicle will rise from about $144 to $173.<\/p>\n

In May 2024, then-transport minister SImeon Brown decided to increase rates to what they would be, more or less, if adjusted for inflation since 1994.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there are several changes coming for the education and tertiary sector. <\/p>\n

Changes in the tertiary sector<\/p>\n

The fees-free scheme for tertiary students switches from first year to final year.<\/p>\n

To get final-year fees free, you must have started your final year on or after January 1, 2025. <\/p>\n

It is available for one year\u2019s study or two years\u2019 work-based learning, up to a total of $12,000.<\/p>\n

From January 15, 2026, people who fall into this category can apply for the fees.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A woman raising her hand during a lecture at a university (file image). (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

Learners had until December 31 to declare their eligibility or to lodge an appeal for first-year fees free, which has been phased out by the coalition government. <\/p>\n

Also in the tertiary sector, ten polytechnics will be re-established as part of the Government’s overhaul of Te P\u016bkenga. The move represents a reversal of previous reforms that had consolidated the sector under the previous Labour government.<\/p>\n

New attendance services and Regulatory Standards Act come into force <\/p>\n

At schools, new attendance services will also be rolled out from January. The attendance services aim to improve student engagement and completion rates across the sector.<\/p>\n

ERO report says attitudes to being in school have shifted markedly, but not everyone is convinced. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Regulatory Standards Act comes into effect on January 1, though the legal framework will initially exist without being fully in place. <\/p>\n

The Government can begin preparing for implementation, with an order in council expected between January and July to activate the bill’s main provisions.<\/p>\n

February<\/p>\n

Easier and cheaper prescriptions<\/p>\n

From February 1, people will be able to receive 12-month prescriptions for their medicines, delivering greater convenience for people on long-term treatments.<\/p>\n

\"Blister<\/p>\n

Blister packaging. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

Patients will continue to collect their repeats from the pharmacy as usual, but will no longer need to return to their doctor each time for a new script. This could save patients up to $105 per year in reduced GP fees.<\/p>\n

This change, announced in Budget 2025, will allow people with long-term, stable conditions to receive prescriptions of up to 12 months from their prescriber. <\/p>\n

“It gives patients greater certainty and frees up GPs\u2019 time by reducing the number of appointments needed to renew routine prescriptions,\u201d Health Minister Simeon Brown has previously said.<\/p>\n

ADHD prescriptions to become easier <\/p>\n

Also, from February 1, GPs and nurse practitioners will be able to start medical treatment for adults with ADHD, following decisions by Medsafe and Pharmac last year.<\/p>\n

Under the current system, GPs and nurse practitioners can only prescribe stimulant medicines to patients on a written recommendation from a paediatrician or psychiatrist, or after someone has already been diagnosed and given a first prescription. <\/p>\n

Not all GPs and nurse practitioners will be equipped to carry out this work immediately after the regulatory changes come into effect.<\/p>\n

But it’s expected over time, more GPs and nurse practitioners will be able to diagnose and start adults on treatment for ADHD. <\/p>\n

March<\/p>\n

Bowel cancer screening eligibility expanded<\/p>\n

The age at which people can start taking part in the free National Bowel Screening Programme is being lowered from 60 to 58 years of age in March. <\/p>\n

The health minister says this was the first step in the goal of lowering screening age to match with Australia. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

The first stage has already started from October last year, but the second stage will begin in March in the remaining North Island regions of Midland and Central.<\/p>\n

All newly eligible people nationwide will be invited for free screening by March 2027.<\/p>\n

Gift card rule changes<\/p>\n

From March 16, there are new rules that require the expiry date on a gift card to be not less than three years after the date of sale.<\/p>\n

\"Gift<\/p>\n

Gift card. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n

If a gift card is sold with an expiry date that is less than three years, the expiry date is void and taken to be three years after the date of sale.<\/p>\n

This change brings New Zealand into line with international standards such as Australia\u2019s minimum expiry. <\/p>\n

April and May<\/p>\n

Default KiwiSaver contribution rates to climb<\/p>\n

From April 1, default employer and employee KiwiSaver contribution rates will rise from 3% to 3.5%. KiwiSaver members aged 16 to 17 will also become eligible for mandatory employer KiwiSaver contributions. <\/p>\n

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she wants to system to become “more fiscally sustainable”. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

If they choose, members will be able to apply to Inland Revenue to continue contributing at the rate of 3% from February. If a member applies for a savings rate reduction, their employer will also be required to contribute at 3 per cent. <\/p>\n

There will be a further rise to default contribution rates in 2028. The increases are being phased in over a three-year period and were announced last June.<\/p>\n

Paywave surcharges expected to be eliminated<\/p>\n

When the Government announced it was going to eliminate contactless surcharges, it said it would pass legislation in 2026 and have it come into force by May at the latest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re banning surcharges so consumers can shop with confidence knowing how much they will pay for their purchases,” said Commerce Minister Scott Simpson.<\/p>\n

“By May 2026 at the latest, we will ban surcharges for in-store payments. Shoppers will no longer be penalised for their choice of payment method, whether that\u2019s tapping, swiping or using their phone\u2019s digital wallet.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Motorists will pay more to register their vehicles from today, but prescription costs will drop in February –…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":211356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5901,111,43,139,69,244],"class_list":{"0":"post-211355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-1news-recommends","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-personal-finance"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}