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Work homepage
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Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
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Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
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Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
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Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
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Job Connect on Facebook
Find out how we can help you get ready to work, find work, and support available while you're working.
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CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
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Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
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Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
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Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
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Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
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Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
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Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
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Benefits and payments homepage
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Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
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Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
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Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
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Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
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Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
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Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
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Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
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Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
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Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
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Payment issues
Fixing issues with Accommodation Supplement, Special Benefit and other payments we’ve made
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16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
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Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
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On a benefit homepage
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Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
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Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
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Income
Declare income, wages deduction calculator and tables
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Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
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Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
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Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
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Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
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Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
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Housing homepage
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Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
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Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
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Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
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Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
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Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Veteran's Pension
Veteran's Pension is a fortnightly payment for veterans who have qualifying operational service in the New Zealand Armed Forces.
The residence criteria for Veteran's Pension will change in July 2024.
You may qualify for Veteran's Pension if you:
- have served in the New Zealand Armed Forces on Qualifying Operational Service
- are 65 or over
- either:
- are a New Zealand citizen
- are a permanent resident, or
- hold a residence class visa
- are ordinarily resident in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau when you apply, and
- have lived in New Zealand for at least 10 years since you turned 20. These 10 years must include 5 years since you turned 50. If you haven't lived in NZ the whole time, you may be able to use other countries to meet this criteria.
Lived in NZ for at least 10 years since 20
When we say 'have lived in NZ', we mean you were:
- resident in NZ, i.e. you permanently made your home in NZ, and
- physically present in NZ.
To determine this, we'll look at things like:
- your involvement in NZ society
- the number of times you left NZ, why you left and how long you left for.
You may be able to use other countries to meet the residence criteria if:
- they are a country that has a Social Security Agreement with NZ, or
- they are a NZ realm country (the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau).
Social Security Agreement countries
The 10 years may include time you've spent:
- living in a country that NZ has a Social Security Agreement (SSA) with, and/or
- contributing to a SSA country's pensions scheme.
You might have to live in the country and contribute to their pensions scheme, or you might only have to do one of these. It depends on the agreement.
Some agreements also have other criteria you have to meet if you include time from their country.
You can only include time from one of the SSA countries. You cannot combine time across multiple SSA countries.
For a list of countries NZ has a SSA with, see: Countries NZ has a Social Security Agreement with
NZ realm countries
If those 10 years in NZ don't include 5 years since you turned 50, you can count time you've lived in one or more realm countries since you turned 50.
NZ realm countries include:
- the Cook Islands
- Niue, and
- Tokelau.
When we say 'have lived in a NZ realm country', we mean you were:
- resident in a realm country, i.e. you permanently made your home in a realm country, and
- physically present in a realm country.
To determine this, we'll look at things like:
- your involvement in the realm country's society
- the number of times you left the realm country, why you left and how long you left for.
Example - move to Tokelau at 45
You were born in NZ and moved to Tokelau at age 45. You apply for Veteran's Pension when you turn 65 (from Tokelau).
You've lived in NZ for at least 10 years since you turned 20, but this doesn't include 5 years since you turned 50. You can use the time you've lived in Tokelau since you turned 50 to make up the 5 years.
At least 10 years in NZ since 20 |
Does that include 5 years since 50 in NZ? |
Can you make up 5 years since 50 from realm country? |
Yes | No | Yes, 5 years in Tokelau |
Example - born in the Cook Islands
You were born in the Cook Islands and moved to NZ at age 30. You move back to the Cook Islands at age 52 and don't return to NZ. You apply for Veteran's Pension when you turn 65 (from the Cook Islands).
You've lived in NZ for at least 10 years since you turned 20, but this only includes 2 years since you turned 50. You can use the time you've lived in the Cook Islands since you turned 50 to make up the rest of the 5 years.
At least 10 years in NZ since 20 |
Does that include 5 years since 50 in NZ? |
Can you make up 5 years since 50 using realm country? |
Yes | No, only 2 years | Yes, add 3 years from Cook Islands |
Example - move to Cook Islands at 20
You were born in NZ and moved to the Cook Islands at age 20. You move back to NZ when you turn 60. You apply for Veteran's Pension when you turn 65 (from NZ).
You've only lived in NZ for at least 5 years since you turned 20. Therefore you wouldn't meet this residence criteria for Veteran's Pension until you had lived in NZ for at least 10 years. This means you would need to wait until you were 70 before you would meet this residence criteria for Veteran's Pension.
This depends on your circumstances. These include:
- whether you are single, married or in a relationship
- your living situation if you are single
- whether your partner is included in your Veteran's Pension payments or not
- any overseas benefit or pension you may get.
Any payments you get from accident insurance or Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) may affect your pension.
Contact the Veteran's Pension Centre on 0800 650 656 to talk about your circumstances and they'll explain how to apply.
If it’s hard to use the phone, you can contact us through our services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment.
You have 20 working days from when you first contacted us. You'll need to provide us with any supporting documentation required for your application within this time. If you don't do this, you may have to reapply.
If you can't complete your application within 20 working days for any reason, contact the Veteran's Pension Centre
If you are getting an overseas benefit or pension, it might affect your Veteran's Pension.
Find out how your Veteran's Pension will be affected if you travel or move overseas.
When you get Veteran's Pension you will automatically be issued with a Veteran SuperGold card.
Related
Contact
This information is a guide only.
Contact the Veteran's Pension Centre to talk about your individual circumstances.