frozen

interesting reading in yesterday's NZ Herald. Older people who immigrated many decades ago to NZ are protesting about the pension given to them in NZ. Seemingly an immigrant can not get more state pension than a NZ person so any extra state pension from any country is confiscated. According to the following website- a spouse can end up losing some or all of their pension ! Here is the website www.nzpensionabuse.org . Seemingly it's all to do with section 70 of the NZ Social Security Act.
Can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks

littleal

You cannot get both a UK state pension and an NZ state pension, as NZ won't pay you to better off than a Kiwi. If you have any UK entitlement, NZ will deduct that from the state pension they will pay you, or you can sacrifice your UK pension and they will give you the NZ state pension in full. That's my understanding but look at:

http://www.sorted.org.nz/home/sorted...superannuation

NZ superannuation is paid just on age, regardless of whether you are still working. Also it does not affect any private pension scheme or employer scheme benefits you may have from the UK.

HTH
Alison

BEVS

This is a problem being highlighted throughout several countries.


Please have a read through THIS OLDER THREAD about pensions and section 70.

Brummie Bob wrote quite a bit about this.

You will find more specific information on This Expat Pensioners Site.

NakiMan

"You cannot get both a UK state pension and an NZ state pension, as NZ won't pay you to better off than a Kiwi."

Thats correct. As I understand it, the UK government transfer a lump sum to the NZ government, and they will pay your state superanuation on exactly the same basis as any other Kiwi.

NZ Super is non contributory so everyone gets the same, except that many immigrants, particularly older ones, wont qualify unless they have an overseas state pension.

Bear in mind that as an expat, your UK state pension would not be increased once it starts payment. The NZ one will increase from time to time.

IngStina

How about if you get your pension from another country direct deposited in your former homeland without connecting it to NZ? Would you have to declare it somehow or just treat it as offshore savings account to use as you need?

NakiMan

Remember, none of this applies to private pensions or occupational pensions from former employers.

When you claim a NZ state pension then, I believe, you are required to declare any other state pension that you are entitled to, from any other country in the world.

If you do not claim a NZ State pension, then of course you can keep your overseas one.

But remember, it is overseas income and must be declared to the NZ Inland revenue for income tax purposes. And so will be subject to NZ income tax.