Methods of payment

When a client receives a New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran's Pension in Malta they can choose to have payments made to a New Zealand bank account or to an overseas bank account.

Note all payments will be made directly to the clients bank account and not to the Maltese authority. This is because the agreement with Malta does not include a provision to recover any debt from the initial arrears.

Payments made to a New Zealand bank account are credited fortnightly.

If a client chooses to have payments made to a New Zealand bank account before transferring the funds to an overseas bank account, the client must pay the cost of the transfer of the funds.

Payments made to an overseas bank account are credited four weekly.

If a client chooses to have money paid directly to an overseas bank account, the Ministry of Social Development meets the cost of the initial transfer of funds.

There are three options for the first payment being made into an overseas bank account:

• payment can be made to an overseas bank account if the client has already provided verification of their bank account that meets core processing standards
• the first payment(s) may be made to a New Zealand account until the overseas bank account details are supplied or
• payment is suspended until details of the overseas bank account are given to International Services. Once account details are advised, any accumulated arrears will be paid to the overseas account with the first payment.

For more information contact International Services or see:

• Rate payable in Malta