Married, civil union or de facto clients
Only one person in the couple can be eligible to receive Winter Energy Payment at any one time.
This means that when one person in the couple becomes ineligible to be paid Winter Energy Payment because they have been absent from New Zealand for more than 28 days, the other person in the couple can become eligible.
Couples receiving a main benefit
When couples are receiving a main benefit, one person is considered eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment but this payment is paid equally, 50% to the primary client, and 50% to the partner.
If the person who is eligible to receive it, is absent from New Zealand, they may continue to receive it for up to 28 days (it will continue to be divided equally between the primary client and their partner).
When the client eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment is absent from New Zealand for more than 28 days, the partner can be considered eligible and receive the full couple rate of Winter Energy Payment.
If the partner also leaves New Zealand within the first 28 days, at the point that they begin to be eligible to receive Winter Energy Payment, they can only receive Winter Energy Payment for 28 days from the time that they left New Zealand.
Couples receiving New Zealand or Veteran’s Pension
For New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension clients, the Winter Energy Payment is not paid equally and can only be paid to one person eligible for the payment. Note the person determined as eligible, can be changed if the couple asks for this to happen.
When a person who left New Zealand is no longer eligible to receive Winter Energy Payment, the partner who remains in New Zealand is the person eligible to receive Winter Energy Payment. The person who is eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment is paid the full couple rate.
Note there is a manual process to ensure the partner who remains in New Zealand receives the correct rate of Winter Energy Payment.
If the partner also leaves New Zealand within the first 28 days, at the point that they begin to be eligible to receive Winter Energy Payment, they can only receive Winter Energy Payment for 28 days from the time that they left New Zealand.
