Unemployment Benefit in NZ
 

Hi,

Can anyone clarify the situation about receiving unemployment benefit in New Zealand? I am trying to calculate the risk of emigrating with my young family.

As I understand it from reading the visa documentation, under normal circumstances, holders of a permanent residence visa are not entitled to many benefits for the first 24 months of residence in New Zealand. However, I also read that New Zealand has a reciprocal social security agreement with a number of countries, and that residence in one of those countries after the age of 20 can be used to count towards the 24 months residency requirement. I lived in the UK until the age of 24 and from there in The Netherlands for the next 9 years. Both have a reciprocal agreement with New Zealand, although each agreement seems to differ.

I tried to get clarification from Work & Income but was frustrated by copy-and-paste answers that didn't fully address my question.

As a New Zealand permanent resident, if I lost my job in the first 2 years of residence, would I be entitled to unemployment benefit?

Any advice welcome, thanks.
Riff-Raff

Re: Unemployment Benefit in NZ
 

Try this Riff

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/man...fits/index.htm

Re: Unemployment Benefit in NZ
 

Thanks, I browsed around from that link and found this description which confirms:

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/man...benefit-35.htm

"New Zealand has Reciprocal Agreements with some countries. However, only the agreement with the United Kingdom includes Unemployment Benefit.

Under that agreement, residence and or periods of insurance contributions in the United Kingdom can be regarded as residence in New Zealand."

and this describing the specifics of the reciprocal agreement with UK:

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/man...ed_kingdom.htm

Re: Unemployment Benefit in NZ
 

I think we might be able to clear this up having experiance of this but the keywords are

"EVERYONES CIRCUMSTANCES ARE DIFFERANT"

For us we came here and the principal earner lost their job and and my part-time work was not enough to keep us. Well thats what we thought because compunding it an unexpected pregnancy added to more instability within the first two years.

Lucky for us their were people who helped us and found out for us that we were entitled to what is called an Emergency Benefit. Yes your correct that your not entitled to any Unemployment Benefit but you are able to get Emergency Financial Assistance.

What I must stress here is those words "Everyones Circumsatnces are differant". The rules may have been changed in recent years and as I understand it the New Goverment has made some changes to the social security system.

If your having fun dealing with Work & Income NZ now you wait until you deal with them face to face! Not one office or person seems to have any consistancy in what you are told.

Oh and btw Work & Income deal with a lot of things not just unemployment benefit.