Supported Living Payment residing in Denmark

Under the agreement with Denmark clients can be paid the New Zealand Supported Living Payment (health condition, injury, disability, or totally blind) when they are living in Denmark.

Clients can apply for the Supported Living Payment to be paid in Denmark before their departure from New Zealand, or from Denmark. Payment cannot be backdated so clients should be encouraged to apply before they leave New Zealand.

To get Supported Living Payment paid in Denmark, a client must:

• be entitled to or getting Supported Living Payment (health condition, injury, disability, or totally blind)
• be ordinarily resident in Denmark or New Zealand and present in Denmark or New Zealand at the time they apply for payment from overseas
• have the intention of remaining ordinarily resident in Denmark for at least 26 weeks and
• have resided continuously in New Zealand for at least 12 months since age 20

The client can use their periods of residence in Denmark to meet the residence qualification for Supported Living Payment (health condition, injury, disability or totally blind).

If a client leaves New Zealand intending to live in Denmark for 26 weeks or more, they have up to 26 weeks to take up residence in Denmark. Clients may go to other countries before they get to Denmark, but they must arrive in Denmark within 26 weeks from the date they left New Zealand to be considered as ordinarily resident in Denmark on the date they left New Zealand.

Example

A client may want to have a three-month holiday in the United Kingdom before taking up residence in Denmark.

In this example, the client would be considered to be ordinarily resident in Denmark for the purposes of deciding their application for payment of Supported Living Payment in Denmark.

Clients have an obligation to advise MSD of any changes in their circumstances that may affect their entitlement to Supported Living Payment paid in Denmark or the rate payable (e.g., change in income or if they intend to leave Denmark to live in another country).

When the client reaches the qualifying age for New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension, they will no longer be eligible for Supported Living Payment (health condition, injury, disability, or totally blind) and must test their entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation or Veterans Pension.

Clients getting Supported Living Payment in Denmark will need to complete a Mandatory Review 52 weeks from when the benefit commenced, and 52 weeks from when the client's last Mandatory Review was completed.

For more information contact International Services.