Deciding if grandparented non-qualified partner or main benefit partner would be better off getting terminal benefit or another benefit

Terminal benefit is paid for 28 days when a client dies and has a surviving partner or children. Depending on the client's circumstances, they may be better off getting other assistance instead of Terminal Benefit.

Terminal Benefit

When New Zealand Superannuation is being paid to a couple, both the deceased person and the surviving person's portion of superannuation should be paid if it is decided that terminal benefit is the best option for the surviving partner.
Payment is the total superannuation including any ongoing Extra help. It does not include family tax credit and Best Start tax credit.

A surviving grandparented non-qualified partner who does not have on-going entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation payments would generally get more money by getting terminal benefit.

Other assistance

Sometimes the surviving person or the caregiver of the child would get more money (based on their new circumstances) on a new main benefit instead of getting their portion of their current assistance for 28 days.

Compare the surviving person's potential new main benefit or increase of their main benefit if they get one and ongoing Extra help (from the date after death) against the surviving person's portion of benefit and ongoing Extra help they were getting before their partner's death.