Any eligible New Zealander receives NZ Super, regardless of:
To be eligible for NZ Super, you need to be aged 65 or over and be a legal resident of New Zealand. You can get NZ Super even if you’re still working.
You also need to have lived here for 10 years since age 20, with five of those years since you turned 50. Note that due to recent legislation being introduced, this requirement is likely to increase gradually so that you will need to have lived in New Zealand 20 years since age 20.
Work and Income has more information about NZ superannuation eligibility.
It’s important to remember that NZ Super may be different in years to come in terms of who gets it and when.
If you get a pension from an overseas government, your NZ Super payments may be reduced by the amount you receive from overseas.
For more information call Work and Income on 0800 777 227 or email international.services@msd.govt.nz.
The level of NZ Super payments is set by the government each year. The rates are reviewed and adjusted to take into account any increases in the cost of living (inflation) and average wages.
The after-tax NZ Super rate for couples (who both qualify) is based on 66% of the ‘average ordinary time wage’ after tax. For single people, the after-tax NZ superannuation rate is around 40% of that average wage.
NZ Super is paid fortnightly.
Here are the current NZ Super rates.
NZ Super is generous by international standards, but it only goes so far. Many of us will have a gap between what it provides and the retirement lifestyle that we’re hoping to achieve.
To understand how much your gap might be, you can plug your numbers into our retirement calculator.
If you're eligible, you can apply for NZ Super three months before you turn 65. There’s a form on the Work and Income website, or Work and Income can be reached on 0800 552 002.
Check out our 6 steps Get Sorted program to get you on track.
Head to the 6 steps
