纽西兰：退休金

New Zealand Superannuation (both partners entitled)

Entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation is based on individual age qualification and each person in a married couple must qualify individually to receive New Zealand Superannuation.

Currently the combined married rate is $406.00 nett at the M rate of tax per payment ,with the payment being made to banks of the Superannuitants choice .

By the legislation in Section 13A of the Social Welfare Transitional Provisions Act 1990 the New Zealand Superannuation is adjusted annually - this section 13A states that the CPI adjustments to New Zealand Superannuation rates must take place on 1 April each year .

At this date the relationship with wages must also be checked at this time to ensure relativity with average wage levels .In an attempt to remove superannuation from being a political consideration an Accord was agreed. The after tax weekly rate of New Zealand Superannuation for a couple under the Accord which was agreed , among the then major political parties in August 1993 was set to be not less than 65% nor more than 72.5% of the net average after tax ordinary time weekly wage.

The National government at the end of 1998 , claiming the effects of the Asian crisis legislated to change the range to not less than 60% nor more than 72.5% of the NAATOTWW, so that in the year beginning 1st April 1999 the relativity fell to 62.08% .

On April 1st 2000 the incoming new government honoured an election pledge to restore the NZS to within the range set by the defunct Accord . They announced that the new rate would be $347.00 per week for a married couple which is in fact about 67% of the NAATOTWW calculated on the previous basis .

We make comment , in the next section , on the change to the way the NAATOTWW is calculated after November 1999 . November being the reference month used to calculate the adjustment in the following April.

Once the new married person rate is determined to be still within the specified band the single rates are determined .
The single rates are calculated so that the sharing rate is equivalent to 60% and the single living alone rate equivalent to 65% of the combined married rate.

Table of nett CMR over past six years
In the table below which shows the relative figures over the past six years ,

* CMR is the combined married rate ,
* NAATOTWW is the Net Average After Tax Ordinary Time Weekly Wage as calculated by New Zealand Statistics in November of the preceding year .
* the % is the relationship between the CMR and the NAATOTWW
* the CPI is the Cost Price Index


Date Nett CMR NAATOTWW % CPI
01.04.94 $295.96 $421.07 70.29 1.39%
01.04.95 $304.96 $433.59 70.17 2.80%
01.04.96 $313.12 $445.79 70.24 2.92%
01.04.97 $321.22 $478.00 67.20 2.55%
01.04.98 $323.88 $491.03 65.96 0.83%
01.04.99 $325.58 $524.45 62.08 0.52%
01.04.00 $347.00

The table above is incomplete because Statistics NZ has changed the basis of the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) from which the NAATOTWW is calculated. The QES now includes more samples of lower rates of pay. Had the incoming government adhered strictly to its promise to restore the lower end of the range to 65% based on the current calculation for NAATOTWW because it is a lower figure the range could have been restored and the rate increased by a minor amount as dictated by the CPI.

The public and indeed the politicians forming the new government were unaware of the change to the calculation of the QES , presumably done at the bequest of the then government.

The calculation of the NAATOTWW on 1st April 1999 was based on a QES at November 1998 of $653.56 and the value of the new QES calculation at November 1999 was $641.81 , below that of November 1998.

With the critical figure of the average wage calculated in November any adjustment to the New Zealand Superannuation is always six months behind . Currently superannuation payments are no longer subject to the surcharge regime as the superannuation surcharge was abolished from 1 April 1998.

Individuals in receipt of New Zealand Superannuation continue to be paid New Zealand Superannuation in respect of the first 26 weeks of absence from New Zealand , provided that the total period of absence does not exceed 30 weeks.
Absence from New Zealand beyond 30 weeks will generally result in loss of entitlement of New Zealand Superannuation for the full period spent outside of New Zealand.

New Zealand Superannuation (single person)

The single rate for New Zealand Superannuation is calculated so that the sharing rate is equivalent to 60% of the combined married rate and the single living alone equivalent to 65% of the combined married rate.

Currently the payment per week is

* Single Sharing $243.60 nett
* Single Living Alone , $263.90 nett

- these rates at M tax rate

The living alone payment is designed to assist Superannuitants who are living on their own on the basis that it is more expensive for someone living on their own compared to a sharing situation .

* For a single person living alone there is no income or asset test- the sole criteria for receiving a Living Alone Payment is that you are living on your own.
* For a married person living alone there are however some criteria that must be met as follows :
o if your partners New Zealand Superannuation has been reduced to the hospital rate there is no income or asset test ,
o or if your partner is receiving a Residential Care Subsidy an income and asset test has already been completed
o or if you are receiving payment of New Zealand Superannuation as a non-qualified spouse ( i.e. you do not qualify for New Zealand Superannuation in your own right) and you were included in your partner's New Zealand Superannuation prior to 1 October 1991,
o otherwise you do not qualify for a living alone allowance .

For people receiving the living alone allowance you can have someone come to stay for a holiday for up to 13 weeks (in any 26 week period ) and continue to receive your Living Alone Payment . Holidays overseas have same restrictions as for married Superannuitants above.

New Zealand Superannuation (one partner entitled)

The non-qualified spouse rate of New Zealand Superannuation is designed for couples where one spouse is qualified by age and the other is below the qualifying age for New Zealand Superannuation .

According to the rationale for this distinction , it would be unfair to pay a couple in which one spouse is non-qualified exactly the same amount of superannuation as a couple where both qualify in their own right as when couples have a wide age difference it could result in some people qualifying for New Zealand Superannuation when they are their thirties or forties .

In the case where one spouse is not qualified the couple has two options .

1. The first option allows the married couple with non qualified partner to receive the ' non-qualified spouse included ' married couple rate of New Zealand Superannuation , currently $390.80 gross per week .
This is subject to the social security income test where joint income abates after $80 per week by 70 cents in the dollar and the total amount of any private pensions are include in the income .
Thus the maximum of $4016 per annum additional income may be received before the amount paid for 'non-qualified spouse included ' is affected .
2. The second option allows the qualified partner to receive the married rate of New Zealand Superannuation , currently $203.00 nett .
For joint extra income over $16000 this option is probably applicable but what option is selected is based on individual situations..
For income calculation only 50% of private pension is treated as income.

Where a person is in receipt of a pension registered under the Superannuation Schemes Act 1989 , or an annuity from a life insurance policy , 50% of the amount received under the pension or annuity may be disregarded as income in assessing entitlement to benefits or pensions , subject to all of the following conditions being met.

* that person commenced receiving payments of the pension or annuity prior to April 1 1992 ; and
* at that date , the person was aged not less than 55 years and not more than 59 years ; and
* that person's spouse ( if any) who is younger than the person whose income is being determined , was aged 55 years or more at the date that person started to receive payments.

While the Federation is attempting to resolve the perceived iniquities in the situation of Superannuitants with non qualifying spouse there is a specific group outside the Federation established with the aims to remove the abatement for the qualifying person , to minimise the penalties for non-qualifying person once 60 is reached and to exclude private pensions from income assessment .
The group may be contacted - Superannuation & Abatement Group , c/o 21 Reese Jones Grove , Maungariki , Lower Hutt.

With many of our members not being Superannuitants but in the 55+ category it is pertinent here to give some details of the allowances that apply to these , to complete the picture of the social welfare regime that covers our members , especially as current managerial practices tend to consider anyone over 40 as old and therefore in the words of the Treasury " a redundant economic unit ".