Jersey benefits and pensions paid in New Zealand

Common questions and answers

Updated November 2020

Who is entitled to Jersey Benefits and Pensions paid in New Zealand?

New Zealand has a social security agreement with Jersey. Under the Agreement the following Jersey benefits and pensions are available to former Jersey residents living in New Zealand:

• Old age pension
• Survivor's Pension
• Long Term Incapacity Allowance
• Short Term Incapacity Allowance
• Incapacity Pension
• Death Grant

The Social Security Department decides who can receive a Jersey benefit or pension and how much will be paid.

For more information about Jersey benefits and pensions see:

How do I apply for a Jersey benefit or pension?

If you have previously made social insurance contributions in Jersey and you are not already getting a Jersey benefit or pension, you need to complete an application form. You can contact Senior Services who will send you the form.

We will forward your application to the Jersey Social Security Department, which is the government office that administers the Jersey social security scheme.

Once you have submitted your application the Social Security Department will contact you directly to tell you their decision.

You need to provide:

• your birth certificate
• another form of identification (passport, driver licence, or marriage certificate)
• one form of identification for your spouse/partner (birth certificate or driver licence, marriage certificate)
• your bank account verification
• any other information that you think will be helpful.

Why do I need to apply for a Jersey Benefit or Pension?

You and your spouse or partner are required, under sections 173-176 of the Social Security Act 2018, to take all reasonable steps to apply for any overseas benefit or pension for which you may be eligible. If you, or your spouse or partner, do not apply for any Jersey benefit or pension for which you may be eligible, you risk losing your entitlement to a New Zealand benefit or pension

How much Jersey benefit or pension will I receive in New Zealand?

The Social Security Department decides whether you qualify for a Jersey benefit or pension using Jersey law. The Social Security Department also decides how much Jersey benefit or pension you can be paid in New Zealand.

You must have paid contributions for at least 26 weeks. To get a pension at the full rate (100%) you will need to have paid or been credited with a total of 45 years contributions. For example, if your contribution record is 80% full, you will be paid 80% of the standard rate of pension.

You must have a minimum contribution of 10% which amounts to roughly 4 1/2 years worth of contributions.

For more information about the rates of Jersey benefits or pensions see:

Will the amount of Jersey benefit or pension be increased while I live in New Zealand?

The rate of benefit or pension is reviewed and increased on 1 October every year and is based on the Jersey Earnings Index.

You do not have to do anything to receive the increase. The increase will be paid to you automatically and you will receive a letter from the Social Security Department to advise you of your new rate payable.

How often will I receive payments of my Jersey benefit or pension in New Zealand?

For those clients living in New Zealand your Jersey benefit or pension is paid every four weeks.

Will my Jersey benefit or pension affect the amount of New Zealand benefit or pension I get?

Sections 187-191 of the Social Security Act 2018 requires the rate of New Zealand benefit or pension to be reduced where an overseas pension is:

• part of a programme that provides benefits, pensions and periodical allowances for similar circumstances for which New Zealand benefits, pensions and periodical allowances would be paid (for example old age/retirement, invalidity and survivors pensions); and
• administered by, or on behalf of, an overseas government.

The Jersey Basic State Pension, Survivor's Pension, Long Term Incapacity Allowance, Short Term Incapacity Allowance, Incapacity Pension, fit within the requirements in sections 187-191 because:

• these benefits and pensions are part of the Jersey social security scheme which provides Jersey benefits and pensions for similar types of circumstances for which New Zealand benefits and pensions would be paid. For example, the Jersey Basic State Pension and New Zealand Superannuation both provide financial support in old age; and
• Jersey benefits and pensions are administered by the Social Security Department, an agency of the Jersey government.

This means that if you are entitled to a Jersey benefit or pension paid by the Social Security Department, the amount of this pension will be deducted dollar for dollar from your New Zealand benefit or pension payments. The Jersey Death Grant will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Are there any instances where the state pension does not affect the rate of New Zealand benefit or pension?

There is no provision in New Zealand legislation that would allow the amount of the Jersey benefit or pension to be disregarded when determining the amount of New Zealand benefit or pension to be paid.

However if you travel or move to a country other than New Zealand or Jersey you may be entitled to a proportional amount of New Zealand benefit or pension based on the amount of time that you have lived in New Zealand. When paid this rate of New Zealand benefit or pension you can generally keep your Jersey benefit or pension.

However there are some exceptions. For more information about moving or travelling to a third country contact:

Am I entitled to other payments in addition to a New Zealand benefit or pension?

You may also be eligible for extra help such as a Disability Allowance for medical costs and an Accommodation Supplement for accommodation expenses. Contact Senior Services or Work and Income to check whether you are entitled to extra help.

Does my Jersey benefit or pension affect my spouse or partner's New Zealand benefit or pension?

If your partner is getting a New Zealand benefit, such as Jobseeker Support or Supported Living Payment, any excess amount from your Jersey benefit or pension will be deducted from your partner’s New Zealand benefit.

If your partner is getting NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension in their own right, your Jersey benefit or pension does not affect this. Also, if your partner receives an overseas pension but does not receive any New Zealand benefit their overseas pension does not affect their partner's NZ Super or Veteran's Pension payments.

If a person is included in their partner’s NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension as a non-qualified partner, the amount of Jersey benefit or pension will be deducted from their payment, and the remaining NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension amount will be divided equally between the two of you.

Why can't I keep the full Jersey benefit or pension and the full New Zealand benefit or pension?

Sections 187-191 of the Social Security Act 2018 ensures that the combined amount you receive from your New Zealand benefit or pension and any overseas benefit or pension is equivalent to the amount you would receive if you only received New Zealand benefit or pension.

For example. It takes 10 years before a person becomes entitled to New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension. So if you were to receive a partial Jersey pension as well as the full amount of New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension, you would receive more state retirement pension than those superannuitants who have lived all their lives in New Zealand and who have contributed to the funding of New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension for a longer period of time through paying their taxes. The Jersey Death Grant will be assessed on a case by case basis.

What options are available for payment of my Jersey benefit or pension in New Zealand?

You can choose to have your Jersey benefit or pension paid by the Direct Payment Method or the Special Banking Option.

For more information, see:

Do similar benefits or pensions from other overseas countries also affect payment of New Zealand benefit or pension?

Yes, where the requirements of sections 187-191 of the Social Security Act 2018 are met, people eligible for a benefit or pension from another overseas country will have the amount of that benefit or pension deducted from their New Zealand benefit or pension (excluding any voluntary contributions).

How do I find out about my own individual situation?

The rules around international agreements are complex. You should speak with us to clarify your own individual situation.