Decision Guidelines

To help you to decide whether a New Zealand benefit or pension should be reviewed from:

• the date a client is granted an Australian benefit or pension or
• the first available date

Use the following guidelines:

• was the client aware that they may need to repay some of the New Zealand benefit or pension once an Australian benefit or pension was granted?
• did the client receive the payment of the Australian pension in good faith?
• has the client spent or committed the overseas payment without realising that it was liable to be directly deducted from their New Zealand benefit?
• is the Australian pension money still in their bank account?
• did the client deliberately or intentionally not advise that they were receiving an Australian pension?
• has there been a delay in reviewing the New Zealand benefit or pension after receiving advice of the grant of the Australian pension?