Dependant's Pension
A Dependant's Pension may be able to support you financially if you're dependent on someone that is severely impaired or died due to service.
You may be able to get this if:
- someone you're dependent on has Qualifying Service before 1 April 1974, or
- Qualifying Operational Service in Viet Nam.
And If living, they must be on either a:
- Disablement Pension of at least 52% whole-person impairment, or
- War Disablement Pension of at least 70%.
If they have died, one of these must apply:
- death is related to Qualifying Service
- at the time of their death they got—or could have got—Disablement Pension of at least 52% whole-person impairment
- at the time of their death they got—or could have got—War Disablement Pension of at least 70%.
You must be their dependant or have been just before their death.
Different pensions are available for specific family members:
Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension
Dependants under 18 years of age
If under 18, you’re a dependant if you:
- mainly rely on them for financial support, and
- usually live with them.
You can’t be their child. But you might be their grandchild or another relation to them such as whāngai.
Dependant 18 or older
If aged 18 or over—and not their child—you’re their dependant if you're:
- in their care, and usually living with them, and
- unable to live independently, due to illness, disability or old age.
Dependant 18 or older and their child
If aged 18 or over—and their child—you’re their dependant if you're:
- in their care, and
- unable to live independently due to infirmity—mind or body.
Children's Pension is another support payment you may qualify for in this situation. You can't get both Children's and Dependant's Pension. You would need to choose between the two. Children's Pension has these advantages:
- paid at a higher rate
- not income-tested.
Payment is every two weeks within NZ and every four weeks to overseas accounts:
- If you’re under 16 we'll pay your responsible person. This may normally be your carer but it may be someone else more suitable.
- If you’re 16 or over we'll pay you—or the person legally able to act for you.
Amount
Payment rate may be reduced by yours or your partner's other income. If other weekly income is:
- up to 50% of the pension’s maximum rate—pension is paid at the maximum rate
- above 50% of the pension’s maximum rate—NZD$1 is taken off for every NZD$1 earned above 50% of the maximum rate
- above 150% of pension’s maximum rate—no payment can be made.
Other income includes:
- wages, salary, commission, interest, parental leave, benefits from the Ministry of Social Development, and similar
- some payments made as goods, services or lump-sums. This depends on factors such as purpose, context, and use.
Payments may also be reduced if you avoid getting the income you could have got. This might include if you:
- choose not to get a payment you were due
- invest your savings in a way that doesn’t earn interest or income.
Dependant's Pension payment rates
Ongoing entitlement
While on Dependant’s Pension you or your responsible person:
- must tell us of changes in your situation, and
- may need to confirm your situation to us each year—by sending income information or medical certificates.
If they lose entitlement to the level of War Disablement Pension or Disablement Pension qualifying you for Dependant’s Pension.
Your pension will stop if the person you're dependent on has either their:
- Disablement Pension drop below 52% whole-person impairment, or
- War Disablement Pension drop below 70%
Your pension may be restored if their entitlement returns to a level that qualifies you.
Otherwise, entitlement ends 28 days after your death, or in the following situations.
If you’re under 18
If you’re under 18, entitlement ends once you stop living with the person that qualifies you. Or you stop relying on their financial support.
Once you turn 18, entitlement may continue if:
- you’re still in their care, due to illness or disability, or
- they have died, but you’d have otherwise stayed in their care.
If you’re 18 or older
If you’re aged 18 or over, and not the child of someone that qualifies you, then entitlement ends once you:
- stop living with, or leave the care of someone that qualifies you, or
- are no longer barred from living independently by illness, disability or old age.
If you’re their child aged 18 or over, entitlement ends once you:
- leave their care, or
- are no longer barred from living independently by infirmity—mind or body.
An application form must be completed, by you or your representative.
If your application is granted—payment is from the day we got it—unless the person that qualifies you has passed away. In that case, payment would be from:
- the day after death if the application was received within 6 months of their death, or
- the day we got the application if the application was received more than 6 months after their death.
After you apply we'll:
- contact you to confirm we've received your application
- start the decision-making process
- keep you informed on the status of your application.
If we need more information, we'll get in touch with you.
Contact us for more information
We strive to be transparent. If you want to know how this entitlement is administered you can read the policy.
