Grandparenting non-qualified partner couples

From 9 November 2020, clients who qualify for Veteran's Pension in their own right cannot include their non-qualified partner in their payments. A non-qualified partner can apply for a main benefit in their own right.

To be eligible for the grandparented rate, the client must have chosen to include their non qualifying partner before 9 November 2020 and be entitled to this rate from a date before 9 November 2020.

All existing non-qualified partners that were current, suspended or expired on 8 November 2020 were grandparented from 9 November 2020.

Note couples getting the non-qualified partner rate who temporarily left New Zealand before 26 March 2020 and were not able to return to New Zealand before 9 November 2020 will not be grandparented. Assistance during their absence is covered by the New Zealanders Stranded Overseas Support Programme. Couples who left New Zealand after 26 March 2020 have their absence treated under the usual 26 week absence rules and must be entitled to payment as at 8 November 2020 to be grandparented.

When a person applied for Veteran's Pension and included their non-qualified partner in their payments at the same time, the non-qualified partner rate is grandparented if:

• the client was entitled to get Veteran's Pension in their own right before 9 November 2020 and
• they applied for the non-qualified rate before 9 November 2020 and
• they were entitled to the non-qualified rate before 9 November 2020