Changes to NZ Super, Veteran's Pension and Supported Living Payment from 1 July 2017

If you're getting New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension and move to Australia on or after 1 July 2017, you'll need to meet the new age criteria for the Australian Age Pension (see criteria under heading at bottom of this page) to keep getting your New Zealand payments.

If you do meet the new age criteria for Australian Age Pension (AAP), you'll:

• continue to get your New Zealand payments for up to 26 weeks
• need to apply for AAP before your New Zealand payments stop.

If your AAP is approved, you'll get this payment and your New Zealand payments will continue at a reviewed rate.

If you don't meet the new age criteria for AAP, your New Zealand payments will stop the day after you leave New Zealand. You'll have to wait until you meet the new age criteria for AAP so you can apply for this.

You can still go to Australia on holiday, or for another temporary visit, and keep getting your New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension for up to 26 weeks, provided you return to New Zealand within 30 weeks.

If you go to Australia for a holiday on or after 1 July 2017 while you're getting New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension, and you then decide to live there, you need to:

• meet the new age criteria for the Australian Age Pension (see criteria under heading at bottom of this page)
• apply for Australian Age Pension (AAP) within 26 weeks after you leave New Zealand.

If your AAP is approved, you'll get this payment and your New Zealand payments will continue at a reviewed rate. Any New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension payments that you received before your AAP is approved may need to be repaid, unless you come back to New Zealand within 30 weeks.

If you don't meet the new age criteria for AAP, your New Zealand payments will be stopped from the day you tell us that you're going to live in Australia and a debt may be created for the time you've been away from New Zealand. You'll need to wait until you meet the new age criteria for AAP so you can apply for this payment.

To get New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension you have to meet the New Zealand residency requirements One of these requirements is that you must have been resident and present in New Zealand for at least 10 years since you were 20 years old, and 5 of those years must be since you were 50 years old.

Prior to 1 July 2017, any years you spent living in Australia from when you were 20 years to 65 years old, could be counted towards this residency requirement.

From 1 July 2017, if you need to use your Australian residence to qualify for New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension, you need to have reached the Australian Age Pension. This applies if you lived in New Zealand prior to 1 July 2017, or if you moved to New Zealand on or after 1 July 2017.

If you don't meet the new age criteria for the Australian Age Pension (see criteria under heading at bottom of this page), any years you spent living in Australia between when your were 20 to 65 years old won't be counted towards this residency requirement for New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension.

If you don't meet this New Zealand residency requirement, you won't be able to get these payments until you either meet:

• the new age criteria for Australian Age Pension (AAP), and we can count the years you've been living in Australia between when you were 20 years and 65 years old, towards this New Zealand residency requirement
• this New Zealand residency requirement without counting the years you've been living in Australia.

If you live in Australia and get New Zealand Superannuation, Veteran's Pension or Supported Living Payment, and you leave Australia on or after 1 July 2017 for more than 26 weeks, your payments will stop from the date you leave Australia and you may have a debt created.

You may need to re-apply for these payments.

If you're getting New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension and Australian Age Pension (AAP), and your New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension payments stop after 1 July 2017, you need to re-apply for these payments under the new age criteria for AAP (see criteria under heading at bottom of this page).

Living in Australia

If you're single while living in Australia and get Supported Living Payment on or after 1 July 2017, you must apply for New Zealand Superannuation once you meet the new age criteria for the Australian Age Pension(see criteria under heading at bottom of this page).

If you have a partner, you and your partner must apply for New Zealand Superannuation once whoever is youngest meets the new age criteria for the Australian Age Pension (AAP).

To apply for New Zealand Superannuation, you need to contact us

Moving to Australia

If you're getting Supported Living Payment and you move to Australia on or after 1 July 2017, your payments will continue for up to 4 weeks after you leave New Zealand.

You need to apply for a Disability Support Pension in Australia before your New Zealand payments stop. If you don't apply for a Disability Support Pension, a debt may be created for the 4 weeks that you received Supported Living Payment after you left New Zealand.

*6 months means the end of a 6 month period, eg: