Social Security Agreement with Ireland - living in New Zealand

Who can get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension

You may be able to get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension while you're living in NZ if:

• you've lived in Ireland, and
• you meet the criteria for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension.

You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've spent contributing to the Irish insurance scheme to meet this criteria. 

Who can get Supported Living Payment

You may be able to get the Supported Living Payment for a health condition, injury or disability while you're living in NZ if:

• you've lived in Ireland, and
• you meet the criteria for Supported Living Payment.

You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get Supported Living Payment. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've spent contributing to the Irish insurance scheme to meet this criteria.

Who can get Sole Parent Support for widows or widowers

You may be able to get Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower while you're living in NZ if:

• you've lived in Ireland, and
• you meet the criteria for Sole Parent Support

You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get Sole Parent Support. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've spent contributing to the Irish insurance scheme to meet this criteria. If you're applying as a widow, you may also be able to use time your late partner has spent contributing to the Irish insurance scheme.

Who can get Orphan's Benefit

You may be able to get the Orphan's Benefit while you're living in New Zealand if:

• you've lived in Ireland, and
• you meet the criteria for Orphan's Benefit

Who can get Irish payments

You may be able to get Irish payments while you're living in NZ. These are the:

• State Pension (Contributory)
• State Pension (Transition)
• Invalidity Pension
• Widow's or Widower's (Contributory) Pension
• Orphan's Contributory Allowance
• Bereavement Grant
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory).

You may need to have lived in Ireland for a certain amount of time to get an Irish payment. If so, you may be able to use periods of residence in New Zealand to meet this criteria.

The Department of Social Protection decides who can get these Irish payments.

How to apply for NZ payments

Use our Check What You Might Get tool to find out what NZ payments you can get and how to apply.

You also need to apply for:

• any Irish payment that you may qualify for and
• any other overseas payments that you may be able to get.

How to apply for Irish payments

You should apply through the Department of Social Protection before you leave Ireland.

If you already live in New Zealand, contact our International Services team. They'll send you an application form to complete and you'll need to send it back to them. Then they'll forward that to the Department of Social Protection.

The Department of Social Protection will decide whether you can get an Irish payment and let you know. This may take a few months.

New Zealand payments

We'll decide how much you will be paid based on certain criteria. If you get an overseas pension, it's usually deducted from your New Zealand payment.

Generally, the amount you're paid is about equal to what you would be paid if you had lived all your life in New Zealand.

Irish payments

The Department of Social Protection decides how much you will be paid.

NZ payments

NZ payments are paid into your nominated NZ bank account.

NZ Super and Veteran's Pension are paid fortnightly. All other NZ payments are paid weekly.

Irish payments

Contact the Department of Social Protection to find out how Irish payments are paid.

Taxes

You may have to pay tax on your Irish payment. It depends what NZ payment you get.

We recommend you discuss your tax liabilities with Inland Revenue (New Zealand).

If you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension

If you get an Irish payment and it's paid by:

• Direct Payment Method, you will have to pay tax on your Irish payment.
• Special Banking Option (SBO), you will not have to pay tax on your Irish payment.

If any of your Irish payment is paid out of the SBO account to you, then you may have to pay tax on it. This will only happen in specific circumstances.

If you get a main benefit

If you get a main benefit and an Irish payment, you will not have to pay tax on your Irish payment.

If your Irish payment is more than your main benefit, you won't get your main benefit and you will only get the Irish payment. In this case, if your Irish payment is paid by:

• Direct Payment Method, you will have to pay tax on it
• Special Banking Option, you won't have to pay tax on it. 

If any of your Irish payment is paid out of the SBO account to you, then you may have to pay tax on it. This will only happen in specific circumstances.

Keep copies of your banking records

Make sure you keep copies of all your banking records. These will show your gross Irish payments required for tax purposes.

NZ payments will start from the date of your application or the entitlement date - whichever is later.

The Department of Social Protection decides when you get paid any Irish payments.

Before you leave New Zealand you need to contact:

• our International Services team
• Department of Social Protection, if you get an Irish payment.

You may keep getting your NZ payment but it depends on:

• where you're going
• how long you're going for, and
• what type of payment you're getting.

Our International Services team will talk you through this when you call.

Talk to the Department of Social Protection for information about what will happen to your Irish payment.