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Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension

Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension is a regular payment that recognises your loss of someone that had Qualifying Service.

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Who can get this

You may be able to get a Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension if your spouse or partner has passed away.

One of the these conditions must also be met:

  • They had undertaken qualifying operational service.
  • Their death is linked to their qualifying service.
  • They were on — or able to get — a War Disablement Pension with at least 70% impairment when they passed.
  • They were on — or able to get — a Disablement Pension with at least 52% impairment when they passed.

You must also have been either:

  • living with them and helping with their everyday welfare, or
  • living apart from them because of health, work or imprisonment reasons.
What you can get

Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension is a regular payment. It is paid:

  • every two weeks within New Zealand, and
  • every four weeks overseas.

Payments start:

  • from the day after they died — if you applied within six months
  • when we got your application — if you applied after six months.

Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension payment rates

How long you get support

If you don't start a new relationship, your pension will last:

  • your whole life, and
  • 28 days after your death.
How to apply
  1. Fill out the Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension form.
  2. Send it to us.

This will include evidence of your relationship with the spouse or partner that had Qualifying Service.

Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension form [PDF, 837 KB]

What happens next

After you apply we'll:

  1. contact you to confirm we've received your application
  2. start the decision-making process
  3. inform you in writing once a decision has been made.

If we need more information, we'll get in touch with you.

How we make decisions

When you get it

Your obligations

You must let us know if you start a new relationship. Your right to this pension is stopped as soon as you start a new relationship. This relationship would need to be a marriage, civil union or a de facto relationship.

You can, however, get a payment equal to two years of the pension. Your right to get this stops the day after your right to the pension.

You can get your pension back if your new relationship ends within five years of its start date.

Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension new relationship form [PDF, 549 KB]

Find out more

Contact us for more information

We strive to be transparent. If you want to know how this entitlement is administered you can read the policy.

Surviving Spouse or Partner Pension policy [PDF, 686 KB]