10 signatures reached
To: The Minister for Seniors, Hon Casey Costello
Let pensioners receive the full NZ pension when living overseas
I am asking the Government of New Zealand to make the superannuation system more equitable for everyone. Including allowing pensioners who have lived overseas for more than 6 months to receive their full New Zealand pension and lowering the retirement age for Maori and Pacific Islanders as on average they don't live as long as non Maori.
Why is this important?
Currently pensioners living overseas aren't able to access our full pension payments if we leave the country for more than 6 months.
Meanwhile Australian pensioners can live two years outside of Australia without any financial penalty to their pensions. People from the UK can live for years outside the UK without it affecting their superannuation. While in New Zealand migrants are discriminated against when they want to retire or move overseas. For example my wife lived in NZ close to 20 years but only gets a fraction of her NZ pension as we live overseas. I am a New Zealand citizen 66 years of age living in Munich Germany. Even though I am no burden to the New Zealand healthcare system and even though I have contributed taxes to the NZ government.
By allowing pensioners to receive their full pension overseas we can lessen the pressure on our health and care systems.
The Government of New Zealand could change the rules to allow people 65 and older to get their full NZ Superannuation while living overseas.
Read more about this issue here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350238784/care-new-zealands-seniors-branded-human-rights-crisis
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124197055/pensioner-loses-70000-from-nz-super-payments-as-overseas-deduction-policy-once-again-raised-in-parliament
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/02/20/health-report-significant-differences-persist-for-maori-pasifika/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/the-cheapest-countries-to-retire-around-the-world-for-kiwi-expats/VAQCEY4URLMBOBXQ5PYGEY2ULM/
Meanwhile Australian pensioners can live two years outside of Australia without any financial penalty to their pensions. People from the UK can live for years outside the UK without it affecting their superannuation. While in New Zealand migrants are discriminated against when they want to retire or move overseas. For example my wife lived in NZ close to 20 years but only gets a fraction of her NZ pension as we live overseas. I am a New Zealand citizen 66 years of age living in Munich Germany. Even though I am no burden to the New Zealand healthcare system and even though I have contributed taxes to the NZ government.
By allowing pensioners to receive their full pension overseas we can lessen the pressure on our health and care systems.
The Government of New Zealand could change the rules to allow people 65 and older to get their full NZ Superannuation while living overseas.
Read more about this issue here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350238784/care-new-zealands-seniors-branded-human-rights-crisis
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124197055/pensioner-loses-70000-from-nz-super-payments-as-overseas-deduction-policy-once-again-raised-in-parliament
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/02/20/health-report-significant-differences-persist-for-maori-pasifika/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/the-cheapest-countries-to-retire-around-the-world-for-kiwi-expats/VAQCEY4URLMBOBXQ5PYGEY2ULM/