Effect on Winter Energy Payment when couples absent from New Zealand

Client leaves country

Effect on the other person

Client and their partner get a qualifying benefit

The primary client is eligible for Winter Energy Payment and leaves New Zealand. They are eligible for Winter Energy Payment for up to 28 days and get their portion over this time.

The partner gets their portion for 28 days as they are in New Zealand.

The partner who is not the primary client leaves New Zealand.

They can get their portion of Winter Energy Payment for up to 28 days as long as their portion of their qualifying benefit continues.

The primary client continues getting their portion of Winter Energy Payment for 28 days.

The partner who is not the primary client leaves New Zealand for more than 28 days.

They will continue getting 50% of the Winter Energy Payment for the first 28 days they are absent from New Zealand.

From day 29, the partner is no longer eligible to get their portion of the Winter Energy Payment

The primary client gets 50% of the Winter Energy Payment for 28 days as they are in New Zealand.

The primary client continues being paid the full couple rate of the Winter Energy Payment from day 29.

The system will automatically apportion the Winter Energy Payment. The full couple rate must be paid to the primary client as a manual action from the 29th day.

The primary client is eligible to get Winter Energy Payment and leaves New Zealand for more than 28 days.

The primary client will keep getting 50% of the Winter Energy Payment for the first 28 days they are absent from New Zealand.

From day 29 they no longer qualify for Winter Energy Payment.

The partner is paid 50% of the Winter Energy Payment for 28 days as they are in New Zealand.

From day 29, the partner becomes the person eligible to get Winter Energy Payment and the whole amount is paid to the partner.

Note when the client's qualifying benefit also stops, the partner may need to apply for a qualifying benefit in their own right to be eligible to get Winter Energy Payment.

The primary client is eligible to get Winter Energy Payment and leaves New Zealand for more than 28 days. The primary client will keep getting 50% of the Winter Energy Payment for the first 28 days they are absent from New Zealand.

The partner also leaves New Zealand within the first 28 days. They keep getting 50% of the Winter Energy Payment for the first 28 days.

From day 29, the primary client no longer eligible to get a Winter Energy Payment.

From day 29 when the primary client is outside of New Zealand, the Ministry can decide if the partner is eligible to get Winter Energy Payment, and the whole couple rate is paid to them.

However, the period of absence for the partner must be counted from the day after the partner left New Zealand.

New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension client is eligible to get Winter Energy Payment leaves New Zealand for 15 days. The partner remains in New Zealand.

The client eligible to get Winter Energy Payment will continue being paid the full couple rate of Winter Energy Payment for the 15 days they are outside New Zealand.

The partner is not eligible to get Winter Energy Payment as the full couple rate is being paid to the other person.

New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension client who is eligible to get Winter Energy Payment leaves New Zealand. They will continue being paid Winter Energy Payment at the full couple rate for up to 28 days.

On day 29, the client who left New Zealand will no longer be eligible to get the Winter Energy Payment.

New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension partner will not get the Winter Energy Payment for the first 28 days as the full couple rate is being paid to the other person.

From day 29, the partner is eligible to get the Winter Energy Payment. Note this will need to be manually granted to the partner.

New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension client eligible to get Winter Energy Payment leaves New Zealand. Grandparented non-qualified partner remains in New Zealand.

On day 29, they will no longer be eligible to get Winter Energy Payment.

The grandparented non-qualified partner is not eligible for the Winter Energy Payment as the full couple rate is being paid to the other person.

From day 29, the grandparented non-qualified partner becomes eligible to get Winter Energy Payment. Note this will need to be manually granted to the partner.

New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension client and partner (either qualified in their own right or grandparented non-qualified partner) leave New Zealand on the same day.

They advised the Ministry that they will be travelling outside of New Zealand.

The Winter Energy Payment will continue being paid to the client eligible to get Winter Energy Payment for up to 28 days.

On day 29, the couple will no longer be eligible to get Winter Energy Payment. This will stop being paid to the client eligible to get Winter Energy Payment on day 29.

New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension client getting the Winter Energy Payment leaves New Zealand. The partner remains in New Zealand.

The partner also leaves New Zealand within the first 28 days.

The partner does not get the Winter Energy Payment for first 28 days as it is paid to the other client.

When the partner not eligible to get Winter Energy Payment also leaves, they will not be eligible for Winter Energy Payment until the end of the 28 day period for the client who left first.

When the client has been away from New Zealand for 28 days their Winter Energy Payment will stop from day 29.

The partner who left second will be eligible to get Winter Energy Payment for 28 days from the day they left New Zealand.