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Social Security Act 2018

Assistance - Introduction

17A: Guide to specified abatement exemptions

You could also call this:

“Understanding special rules that protect your partner's benefits when you're in residential care”

This section explains special rules called ‘specified abatement exemptions’. These rules are found in two different laws: the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 and the Veterans’ Support Act 2014.

These rules are important if you have a spouse or partner who lives in the community while you are in residential care. They make sure that any benefits your spouse or partner gets, like help with housing costs, aren’t reduced because of your income.

The rules say that if your income has already been counted in a means assessment for your residential care under the Residential Care and Disability Support Services Act 2018, it won’t be used to reduce your partner’s benefits.

This helps to protect the financial situation of the person still living in the community when their partner needs residential care.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS789869.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Healthcare services
Family and relationships > Marriage and partnerships
Money and consumer rights > Savings and retirement
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Part 2 Assistance
Introduction

17AGuide to specified abatement exemptions

  1. In this section, the specified abatement exemptions means—

  2. section 17(3) of the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001; and
    1. section 173(3) of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014.

      1. The specified abatement exemptions ensure that a benefit (for example, an accommodation supplement) payable to a community spouse or partner (CSP) is not subject to abatement in respect of any income of the CSP that has been included in a means assessment—

      2. of the CSP’s spouse or partner; and
        1. under the Residential Care and Disability Support Services Act 2018.

          Notes
          • Section 17A: inserted, on , by section 4 of the Social Security (Accommodation Supplement) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 65).