Benefits and NZ residents

[onthefly]

Stupidly, we went via a spouse visa to try and fast-track permanent residency and paid about $2000. Still had to wait 2 years though.
It is possible to have dual citizenship, but yes you need to apply for permanent residency through the immigration office.

[briggsy's girl]

there is a date in place (can't recall it from the top of my head) after which the rules changed for NZ attempting to claim c'link benefits. prior to that date, you could fly in today and claim unemploymnet etc today. after that date, a whole different set of rules applied. as i said, i can't recall the date, or the exact rules as residency stuff isn't something i deal with a lot, but all you can do is try and see what happens...

FTB and income support payments have very different rules as to claiming

[squidipa]

yep and we are after that date

[LimeSlice]

Yep, we must be too Squid! lol

[e_p]

there is a date in place (can't recall it from the top of my head) after which the rules changed for NZ attempting to claim c'link benefits. prior to that date, you could fly in today and claim unemploymnet etc today. after that date, a whole different set of rules applied. as i said, i can't recall the date, or the exact rules as residency stuff isn't something i deal with a lot, but all you can do is try and see what happens...FTB and income support payments have very different rules as to claiming

February 26 2001 is when the rules changed - everyone who arrived from NZ after this date is subject to the same rules as arrivals from any other country.

NZ citizens may still be entitled to claim FTB in Australia.

[LimeSlice]

Hubby arrived beginning of March 2001...

[squidipa]

i claim the ftb so hubbie cant

[onthefly]

Awwww, ripped off Lime!

[e_p]

just missed out! what a bummer If your DH becomes unemployed and you need to make a claim for payments, in some circumstances where your partner is not entitled to benefits and has no other source of income, and you as a couple are in hardship, you can apply to be assessed as a single person for Centrelink purposes under Section 24 of the Social Security Act.

[LimeSlice]

Good to know!

Funny how nobody at CLink ever told me that the 3 times I have called over the years to ask for help when he has been retrenched!

[e_p]

that's really disappointing Limey though unfortunately not surprising - its not that well known but in the area I work in, I see several customers a day being paid under those provisions. I certainly wasn't aware of it when I used to work in the call centre.