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Over-65 Entitlements - The Definitive List for New Zealanders

​Our list covers every entitlement, discount and support available to New Zealanders 65 and over - NZ Super extras, health, rates relief, SuperGold and more, in one list.
Updated 11 August 2026

Summary
  • Turning 65 unlocks far more than NZ Super - but what you're entitled to isn't consolidated into one place.
  • The information is scattered across Work and Income, Health New Zealand, your local council, NZTA and dozens of company policies, and almost none of it arrives automatically.
  • We believe that most New Zealanders claim only a fraction of what they could.
  • Our guide, the first of its kind in New Zealand, fixes that. We've pulled together every entitlement, payment, subsidy and discount we could find for New Zealanders aged 65 and over - 40+ of them at last count, and growing - organised by theme so you can work through the lot in one sitting.

To make it fast, every item carries one of four tags:
  • (Everyone 65+) - automatic or near-automatic, regardless of income or assets
  • (Apply once) - yours if you fill in a form or ask
  • (Income or asset tested) - depends on your financial situation
  • (Needs-assessed or regional) - depends on a health assessment or where you live

Know This: Even if you have significant savings and investments, at least 15 items on this list still apply to you - the universal health entitlements, SuperGold travel and discounts, and NZ Super itself are not means tested. Wealthier retirees routinely miss out simply because they assume there's less available for them.

The 60-second shortcut: Work and Income's free eligibility checker asks a few questions and lists what you may qualify for. We suggest you run this before you read on - then use this guide to catch everything the checker doesn't cover. Check it at check.msd.govt.nz.

In this guide we cover:

Money in Your Bank Account (10+ entitlements)

1) NZ Superannuation (Apply once) is the foundation. Paid fortnightly from 65 to everyone who meets the age and residency rules - it is not means-tested, and you can keep working.

You must apply (it does not start automatically), and you can travel overseas for up to 26 weeks without affecting payments, provided you tell Work and Income before you go.

How to claim it: Work and Income - NZ Superannuation. Our NZ Super Rates guide has more details of the amount you'll receive.

2) The Living Alone rate (Apply once) - if you're single and live alone (or with only a dependent child), you're entitled to a meaningfully higher rate of NZ Super. This is one of the most commonly missed adjustments - tell Work and Income whenever your living situation changes, including after a bereavement.

How to claim it: Work and Income - NZ Superannuation. Our NZ Super Rates guide has more details of the amount you'll receive.

3) Veteran's Pension (Apply once) - if you served in the NZ armed forces in a war or emergency, you may qualify for the Veteran's Pension instead of NZ Super, which brings extra support with it (see section 7 below)

How to claim it: Work and Income - Veteran's Pension

4) Winter Energy Payment (Everyone 65+) - an extra payment on top of NZ Super to help with heating. The Winter Energy Payment starts on 1 May and ends on 1 October every year. It's completely automatic - no application, no income test. If you'd rather not receive it, you can opt out.

Details: Work and Income - Winter Energy Payment

5) Accommodation Supplement (Income or asset tested) - a weekly payment toward rent, board or mortgage payments if your housing costs are high relative to your income.

The amount depends on where you live, and it's not available in public housing, where rent is already income related.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Accommodation Supplement

6) Disability Allowance (Income or asset tested) - a weekly payment covering the ongoing costs of a health condition lasting six months or more: GP visits, prescriptions, a medical alarm, extra heating, special foods, travel to appointments and more. Work and Income totals your last 12 months of costs and pays it weekly. This is one of the most valuable and least claimed items on this list - a monitored medical alarm alone can be fully covered.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Disability Allowance

7) Temporary Additional Support (Income or asset tested) - a last-resort weekly top-up when your essential costs exceed your income. Reviewed regularly, but genuinely there for hard stretches.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Temporary Additional Support

8) Special Needs Grants (Income or asset tested) - one-off, usually non-repayable grants for urgent essentials such as food (loaded onto a payment card), an urgent power, gas or water bill, a water tank refill, or replacing an essential appliance after an emergency.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Special Needs Grant

9) The $1,000 dental grant (Income or asset tested) - up to $1,000 per year, non-repayable, for immediate and essential dental treatment such as fillings and extractions. Costs above that can be covered by an interest-free advance on your Super, repaid over up to two years.

Claim it: Work and Income - Special Needs Grant

10) Advance Payment of NZ Super (Apply once) - an interest-free advance on your own Super for essential items: whiteware, car repairs, a bond, urgent home repairs.

Important: The advance is repaid from your future payments over up to two years, so ongoing payment will be lower than the standard NZ Super Rates.

Details: Work and Income - Advance Payment

11) Help with urgent and unexpected costs (Income or asset tested) - beyond the grants above, Work and Income can help with glasses and eye tests, car repairs (if you need the car for health or access reasons), and essential home repairs - some help is repayable, some isn't.

If your situation is genuinely difficult, ask - staff have discretion for hardship.

How to claim it: Visit Work and Income

12) Funeral Grant (Income or asset tested) - help toward the funeral costs of a partner or close family member, assessed against the deceased's estate and the applicant's situation.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Funeral Grant

Important: Check your tax code when Super starts (Everyone 65+) - NZ Super is taxable, and if you have other income - part-time work, investments or another pension - it may need a secondary tax code.

​Our view is simple - the wrong code means a surprise IRD bill, or quietly overpaying all year. Our guide to tax codes has more details.

Health (8 entitlements)

1) Community Services Card (Income or asset tested) - the single most under-claimed card in New Zealand. It cuts the cost of GP visits, after-hours care and more, and unlocks other subsidies throughout this guide.

Know This: Many retirees living mainly on NZ Super qualify without realising - it takes minutes to apply.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Community Services Card

2) Free prescriptions from 65 (Everyone 65+) - standard prescription co-payments do not apply from age 65. If a pharmacy charges you the standard fee, query it.

3) Free vaccinations (Everyone 65+) - the annual flu vaccine is free from 65, the shingles vaccine is funded around age 65 (timing rules apply - ask your GP or pharmacist), and COVID-19 boosters are free for older New Zealanders.

4) Free bowel screening (Everyone 65+) - a free home test kit is mailed every two years within the eligible age band, which covers people in their 60s and early 70s and has recently been extended to start younger.

Check your dates and do the test - it finds cancers early. Details are on the Time to Screen website.

5) Free breast screening (65+) - free mammograms every two years for those eligible, with the upper age recently extended into the early 70s.

Check your dates and do the test - it finds cancers early. Details are on the Time to Screen website.

6) High Use Health Card (Apply once) - if you visit the GP 12 or more times a year for an ongoing condition, this card cuts your visit costs - and it is not income tested, so it suits people who miss the Community Services Card.

How to Claim it: Ask your GP practice to apply, or see information about the High Use Health Card on the government's website.

7) Hearing aid funding (Apply once) - a government subsidy applies toward each hearing aid once every six years, with full funding schemes for those who meet stricter criteria. Your audiologist handles the paperwork.

How to Claim it: Hearing Aid Funding Scheme

8) Green Prescription (Apply once) - free, personalised support to get active, prescribed by your GP or nurse and delivered by local providers. Ask at your next appointment.

How to Claim it: HealthNZ explains what's required​

Your Home, Rates and Power (4 entitlements)

1) Rates rebate (Income or asset tested) - an annual reduction in your council rates for lower-income homeowners, worth up to several hundred dollars a year - the maximum resets every July.

Know This: Only a fraction of eligible households claim it, and you must reapply each rating year through your council. Since a 2018 law change, retirement village residents who pay rates through their village fees can claim the rebate too - ask your village manager for the figures to support your application.

2) Rates postponement (Needs-assessed or regional) - many councils let over-65 homeowners defer some or all of their rates, secured against the home and settled later or from the estate.

Know This: Terms and fees vary by council - check your council's website for "rates postponement". We have listed councils mentioning it specifically:
3) Warmer Kiwi Homes (Income or asset tested) - government grants covering most of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation, plus grants toward an efficient heater, for eligible homeowners (Community Services Card holders and homes in lower-income areas typically qualify). Community curtain banks in many regions also provide free thermal curtains.

How to claim: Visit Warmer Kiwi Homes

4) Cheaper power, and protection if you're medically dependent (Everyone 65+) - two free moves: run your power plan through our Power Comparison or Consumer NZ's free Powerswitch comparison tool once a year, and tell your power company if anyone in the home is medically dependent on electricity - it triggers extra protections around disconnection. Some retailers also offer discounts to SuperGold holders (outlined below)

Transport (5 entitlements)

1) Free off-peak public transport with SuperGold (Everyone 65+) - free travel on scheduled buses, trains and ferries during off-peak times, plus all day on weekends and public holidays.

More details: SuperGold

2) Total Mobility scheme (Needs-assessed or regional) - if a health condition makes standard public transport difficult, Total Mobility subsidises door-to-door taxi and specialist transport, typically around half the fare up to a cap per trip.

How to claim: Access is via an assessment with a local agency on the government's website

3) Mobility parking permit (Needs-assessed or regional) - if walking distance is limited, a mobility permit opens up accessible parking nationwide. A small fee and a GP sign-off apply.

How to claim: CCS Disability Action - search "mobility parking".

4) Senior fares on ferries and coaches (Everyone 65+) - the main inter-island ferries and long-distance coach operators offer SuperGold or senior fares on selected sailings and services. Offers change, so always check the operator's SuperGold page before booking.

5) Free refresher courses for older drivers (Everyone 65+) - Staying Safe is a free, NZTA-funded classroom workshop for senior drivers, run by Age Concern and community groups nationwide.

How to claim: Staying Safe course

SuperGold and Everyday Discounts (9 entitlements)

1) The SuperGold Card itself (Everyone 65+) - issued automatically when you're granted NZ Super or the Veteran's Pension, and the key to thousands of discounts nationwide. Download the SuperGold app (Apple and Google) or browse the SuperGold directory to search offers near you.

Details: SuperGold

2) Supermarket senior discounts (Everyone 65+) - major supermarket chains have run weekly discount days or percentage discounts for SuperGold cardholders - Woolworths, for example, offers a weekly SuperGold discount day at selected stores. Offers change and vary by location, so check your supermarket's current SuperGold offer in the app or in store, and ask at the checkout.

3) Insurance, power and phone discounts (Everyone 65+) - several insurers, power retailers and telcos offer SuperGold discounts or senior plans. Never renew without asking "is there a SuperGold or senior discount on this?"

4) Cafes, cinemas, pharmacies and retail (Everyone 65+) - from discounted movie tickets to cafe deals and pharmacy discounts, the SuperGold directory lists thousands of participating businesses - and plenty of others discount informally if you ask.

5) Council pools, gyms and classes (Needs-assessed or regional) - most councils offer senior or off-peak concession rates at pools, gyms and recreation centres, and many run free or koha-based senior fitness classes. Check your council's recreation pages.

6) Libraries - free, and they come to you (Everyone 65+) - beyond free books, most library networks offer free e-books, audiobooks and home delivery services for members who can't easily get in. Ask about the housebound service.

7) Free and low-cost digital skills training (Everyone 65+) - SeniorNet learning centres around the country teach everything from banking apps and myIR to video calls with the grandkids, for a small membership or koha - and most public libraries run free one-on-one digital help sessions. The SeniorNet website has more information. 

Our View: The discount you don't ask for is always 0%. Make "is there a SuperGold or senior rate?" an automatic question any time you're arranging to pay something. 

Care and Support - at Home and Beyond (7 entitlements)

1) A free needs assessment - the front door to everything (Needs-assessed or regional) - if daily life is getting harder for you or someone you care for, a free needs assessment through your local Needs Assessment Service Coordination (NASC) agency is the gateway to almost all funded support.

How to claim: Ask your GP for a referral, or see the government's guide. 

2) Home and community support (Needs-assessed or regional) - following assessment, funded help with personal care and, in many cases, household tasks like cleaning and shopping.

How to claim: Personal care support is typically fully funded; household help may depend on your Community Services Card.

3) Carer Support and respite (Needs-assessed or regional) - if you care for a partner or family member, you may be entitled to funded respite days and Carer Support subsidies so you can take a genuine break.

How to claim: Details can be found via the needs assessment above, and Carers NZ

4) Equipment and home modifications (Needs-assessed or regional) - funded walking aids, shower stools, rails, ramps and larger home modifications are available through assessment. Ask your needs assessor or occupational therapist what's fundable before you buy anything.

5) Residential Care Subsidy (Income or asset tested) - if long-term rest home or hospital care is needed, this subsidy covers care costs for those under the asset thresholds, after a needs assessment and a financial means assessment.

How to claim: The thresholds and gifting rules are strict and widely misunderstood - take advice early. Details can be found on the Work and Income - Residential Care Subsidy. Our guide to Residential Care has more information.

6) Residential Care Loan (Income or asset tested) - if your assets are mainly tied up in your home, an interest-free government loan can cover care costs, secured against the house and repaid when it's sold or from the estate.

Details can be found on the Work and Income Residential Care Loan guide.

7) ACC - at any age (Everyone 65+) - there is a persistent myth suggesting ACC stops at 65 - this is not true. If you're injured - including in a fall at home - ACC can fund treatment, transport to appointments, home help and equipment while you recover.

How to claim: Lodge your qualifying claim through your GP or hospital - more details are on the ACC website. ​

Special Situations (4 entitlements)

1) Veterans (Apply once) - beyond the Veteran's Pension, Veterans' Affairs provides treatment, support services and entitlements for qualifying service.

How to claim: If you served, it's worth a conversation even decades later.

Details: veteransaffairs.mil.nz

2) Grandparents raising grandchildren (Apply once) - if you're the main carer for a grandchild whose parents can't care for them, the Unsupported Child's Benefit or Orphan's Benefit provides a weekly payment per child, plus help with school costs - and it isn't affected by your NZ Super.

How to claim it: Work and Income - Unsupported Child's Benefit, and see the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust for support.

3) If you can't get NZ Super (Income or asset tested) - if you don't meet the residency rules, you may still qualify for other help such as an Emergency Benefit while you work toward eligibility.

4) If you have an overseas pension (Everyone 65+) - overseas state pensions are generally deducted from your NZ Super under the direct deduction policy, and you must declare them.

If this affects you, understand the rules before you apply. Our UK Pension Transfers guide is a helpful starting point if you've worked in the UK.

Your Rights - and Where to Get Free Help

If Work and Income declines you, ask for a Review of Decision - it's a standard form, it's free, and you can't be penalised for using it. Decisions get overturned regularly, especially with strong medical evidence. You can also bring a support person or advocate to any appointment; Age Concern provides this free.

Free help:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NZ Super means-tested?

No. Your income, savings and investments don't affect your entitlement to NZ Super or its rate - though other income can change the tax you pay on it, and overseas state pensions are deducted.

Do I get the SuperGold Card automatically?

Yes - it's issued when NZ Super or the Veteran's Pension is granted. If yours hasn't arrived or is lost, call the SuperGold centre via the SuperGold website.

I have significant savings and investments - is any of this for me?

Everyone 65+ applies regardless of wealth - this includes free prescriptions, vaccinations and screening, SuperGold travel and discounts, ACC, the Winter Energy Payment and NZ Super itself.

What if Work and Income declines me?

Ask for a Review of Decision - in writing, using their form. Decisions get overturned regularly; you can't be penalised for asking, and Age Concern can advocate for you free of charge.
Important:
  • Entitlement settings, dollar amounts and commercial offers change - links in this guide go to the official source for the current details.
  • Spotted an entitlement we've missed? Email our research team, and we'll add it.
  • This guide is general information only and is not financial or legal advice.

Related guides - Planning Your Retirement