Sole Parent Support - widows and widowers going to or residing in Jersey/Guernsey

Under the agreement with Jersey/Guernsey a widow or widower can be paid the New Zealand Sole Parent Support when they are living in Jersey/Guernsey.

Clients must apply for Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower to be paid in Jersey/Guernsey before their departure from New Zealand. New Zealanders already residing in Jersey/Guernsey will not qualify.

To get Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower paid in Jersey/Guernsey, a client must:

• meet the qualifications for Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower
• be ordinarily resident in New Zealand when they apply for payment overseas
• intend to live in Jersey/Guernsey for more than 26 weeks and
• have had at least 12 months residence in New Zealand since age 20

Note the client can use their own and/or their former partner's periods of insurance in Jersey/Guernsey to meet the residence qualification for Sole Parent Support.

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

In this example, the client would be considered ordinarily resident in Jersey/Guernsey for the purposes of deciding their application for payment of Sole Parent Support in Jersey/Guernsey.

A client's Sole Parent Support will cease to be payable once the last dependent child turns 14. Clients cannot transfer to Jobseeker Support once their child has turned 14 as Jobseeker Support is not included as a benefit payable under the agreement with Jersey/Guernsey.

If a client is still getting Sole Parent Support at the time they reach the qualifying age for New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension they will no longer be eligible for Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower and must test their entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension.