A new survey of businesses who claimed the wage subsidy shows it was a lifeline for some workplaces

94 percent of businesses surveyed say it had a positive impact on cashflow... while 62 percent say it helped manage non-wage costs like rent.

But Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says the survey also shows some businesses weren't aware of the full range of support available.

And six percent of respondents still intend to make staff redundancies in the coming months.

To date, the wage subsidy has paid out over 10 billion dollars... to one point six six million workers.