Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ’s money correspondent Susan Edmunds answers your questions. RNZ
Every week in 2025, RNZ money correspondent Susan Edmunds answered your questions online and on her podcast [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/no-stupid-questions No Stupid Questions].
Here are some of the most-asked questions this year. If you have any you would like her to tackle in 2026, send them to questions@rnz.co.nz
I’m not quite at retirement age yet but I’m planning. My daughter lives in Canada and I will go to visit her and potentially use her as a base to go sightseeing. I see that if you are away for more than 26 weeks you can lose your pension unless you make provisions with Work and Income.
If you have lived and worked in NZ and reach retirement why should there be any conditions on travelling if that’s what you want to do? Sure, they need to keep tabs in case you pass away and guard against fraudulent activity, but this legislation feels out of touch with the needs of many families in this day and age.
I took your question to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), which indicated it’s basically about keeping the scheme affordable for New Zealand.
General manager for the international disability and generational policy group Harry Fenton said it had always been a feature of NZ Super (NZS) that eligibility was based on residence in this country.
He said it was one of the aspects of the scheme that was designed to keep it fiscally sustainable.
He said people who wanted to travel could receive their pension for 26 weeks if they returned to New Zealand within 30 weeks.
“A person who wants to travel or live overseas for longer than 26 weeks can also apply under the general portability payments and their payment is proportional to their residence in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 65.
“A person living permanently overseas may be able to receive up to the full rate of NZS if the country they’re residing in has a social security agreement with New Zealand. What a person may be eligible to receive will depend on their personal circumstances and the provisions of the individual agreement. New Zealand has a social security agreement with 10 countries which includes Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.”
Fenton said people move to certain Pacific Island countries could also receive payment of the pension proportional to their time as a resident in New Zealand.
I was 35 when KiwiSaver began … I was a full-time worker, wasn’t receiving a benefit. It was like this until this year, when I was told by my doctor that I can no longer work as I have osteoarthritis halfway down my back to my legs.
The skills I had were as a cleaner and I ended as a customer service representative, so I was on my feet a lot. I am now just about 55, I’ve got 10 years until retirement.
No one out there now will employ me as I’m just hitting retirement age and I have health issues. My husband and I are now on a supported living benefit together, he hasn’t worked for 19 years.
My KiwiSaver doesn’t get any money from my wages any more.
Can I get all my KiwiSaver money out that is in there? It’s all my hard work and I no longer work.
This is a really tough situation, and I can understand why it must be frustrating to have your KiwiSaver money there but untouchable!
You can’t close a KiwiSaver account in the same way that you would a bank account.
When you first sign up, you can opt out if you do it quickly, but once you’re in the scheme, you can only stop contributions.
You can withdraw in limited circumstances: When you hit 65, if you meet the criteria for financial hardship, if you’re buying a first home or if you are leaving the country permanently, but not if you’re going to Australia.
In your case, unless you’re actually falling behind on your bills, you probably won’t meet the hardship test.
I checked with Rupert Carlyon, who is the founder of KiwiSaver provider Koura.
He said: “Unfortunately, she is only allowed to withdraw for serious financial hardship if she can’t meet her day-to-day living costs or if she has bills that she is unable to pay.”
He said there was a category that allowed for withdrawals in cases of serious illness but if you’re still able to do some types of work you might not qualify for that.
The KiwiSaver Act defines serious illness as something “that results in the member being totally and permanently unable to engage in work for which he or she is suited by reason of experience, education, or training, or any combination of those things; or that poses a serious and imminent risk of death”. (You could always check with your provider to see what advice they could offer.)
Carlyon said he realised the situation was not ideal for you. “But the positive is that from the age of 65 they will be able to draw down and use the money to help the next phase of her retirement.”
My parents are in their late 70s. Dad is in rest home hospital care in a rest home with physical issues and dementia and he and Mum own a unit in the same retirement village, which would gain $150,000 when they sell (die or both in care). They have joint savings of $50,000 and own a car (no other assets). Dad’s care is funded by the government and is $11,000 a month. In the unlikely event mum was to pass away before dad, would the house proceeds and savings be used by the government to fund dad’s care? Or would this inheritance be paid out to us children as per their will?
Your parents’ assets are below the rest home subsidy asset test threshold so even if the money were to pass to him as relationship property, as I expect it would, it would not be enough to affect the subsidy for his care.
The threshold of assets in this situation would be $284,636. It would only be assets above that which would affect him receiving the government support.
If one person in a de facto relationship needs permanent medical care, does the government require the other partner to pay for the care once the unwell patient’s funds run out?
The basic answer to your question is that when your partner is being assessed for their ability to pay for their care, your income and assets will usually be taken into account.
If you’re referring to medical care in a rest home setting, your assets and personal income affect whether your partner will qualify for a residential care subsidy.
“People who need residential care are required to pay for it themselves, if they can afford to do so. If they cannot afford it, they may be eligible for a residential care subsidy, which Health New Zealand pays directly to the care provider,” said Ministry of Social Development group general manager for client service delivery Graham Allpress.
“MSD’s role is to check whether people qualify for this subsidy by performing a ‘financial means assessment’.
“To get the subsidy, a person’s income and assets must be under a certain amount. If they are in a relationship, the combined income and assets of both parties must be under a certain amount.”
People can qualify for the subsidy if they are 50 to 64, single and without dependent children, or over 65 and meet the income and means test. That means, even if your partner’s funds have run out, your assets could still be taken into account.
If only one partner needs care, the couple combined need to have assets of no more than $155,873 not including the family home and car, or $284,636 if you do want the home and car in the assessment.
If it’s other types of care that you’re thinking of, it could be a good idea to contact Health NZ for a needs assessment.
There are options such as the supported living payment but eligibility for this is assessed on a household income basis, too.
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