Possible overseas pension entitlement

A client may be entitled to receive an overseas benefit or pension if they were born or have lived or worked overseas.

Clients are expected to test their entitlement to any overseas benefit or pension they may be entitled to.

You should ensure clients complete the overseas residence details section of their application form and enter these details into CMS.

These details are automatically transferred to International Services to identify people who may have overseas pension entitlements.

International Services will:

• send the appropriate forms to the client to complete or
• provide the client with the address to write to, about their entitlement and
• follow up any entitlement to an overseas benefit or pension

You need to tell the client they are required to take all reasonable steps to test their entitlement to an overseas pension or their New Zealand benefit or pension could be suspended or cancelled.

Note when the partner of a client says they have overseas residence that may give them entitlement to an overseas pension, you should ask the partner to test their entitlement to the overseas pension. This is regardless of whether they are getting a New Zealand benefit or pension or not.