When a partner dies: NZ Super, spending and the survivor's retirement pay

When one partner dies, the survivor's NZ Super changes to the single rate. From 1 April 2026 that means the household's NZ Super goes from $854.08 a week (the couple rate, after tax at M) to $555.15 a week for a survivor living alone. Work and Income will contact the surviving partner about the change. Spending usually falls too, but not by half: our calculator assumes the survivor needs about 70% of what the couple spent. In our worked example, a survivor at 87 would have about $740 a week, with $185 of it coming from savings. We know this is a hard subject to read about. The point of planning for it is that the person left behind has one less thing to worry about. Rules checked 12 November 2026.

What changes with NZ Super

NZ Super is paid to each person at a rate that depends on their household. When a couple who both get NZ Super becomes one person, the survivor moves to a single rate. Work and Income says that if you were the partner and you qualify for NZ Super, your payment changes to a single rate and they will be in touch to talk it through. They also send a letter confirming the new amount.

The single living alone rate is set at 65% of the couple's combined rate, so the household's NZ Super falls by about 35%. If the survivor later lives with another adult (other than a dependent child), the lower sharing rate applies. The Winter Energy Payment changes too, from $31.82 a week for a couple to $20.46 for a single person with no dependent children, paid from 1 May to 1 October.

To tell Work and Income about the death of someone on NZ Super, there is an online form for seniors, and Work and Income sends the partner a Funeral Grant application form. If the survivor is not yet 65, they are not on NZ Super, so the household's NZ Super stops; check with Work and Income what other help may apply. Our NZ Super rates guide has every rate.

How much does a survivor spend?

Costs do not halve when a household of two becomes one. The house still needs heating, insuring and maintaining. Rates are the same. A car is still needed. Food, clothing, travel and health costs do fall.

Massey University's retirement spending guidelines (2025) show the pattern. "No frills" spending in a provincial area is $580.75 a week for one person against $1,060.65 for two: about 55%. In the metro "no frills" figures it is $705.34 against $937.38, about 75%. The guidelines describe different households, not the same household before and after a death, so treat them as a rough range.

Our calculator uses 70% by default, which is our assumption. It sits close to one divided by the square root of two, the scale the OECD uses to compare households of different sizes. You can change it in the couples and survivors calculator under "If one of you dies". Some survivors spend more than they expect for a while, on help around the house, travel to family, or advice. Others find their costs fall a long way. Your own figure matters more than ours.

Worked example: the survivor scenario

Our example couple are both 55, with $250,000 in KiwiSaver between them and $50,000 of other savings. They retire at 65 and plan for the money to last to 95. With nobody dying before 95, their retirement pay is about $1,052 a week after tax in 9 of 10 simulated markets.

The calculator's default survivor scenario assumes he dies at 87. That is 65 plus his life expectancy at 65 (22.2 years for a man born around 1971, from Stats NZ's cohort tables), rounded. She then lives on, spending 70% of what they spent together. The engine's results, in today's dollars after tax:

Two things are worth noticing. First, the household pay with a death at 87 ($1,057) is slightly higher than with nobody dying ($1,052). That is because 70% of the spending for the last eight years costs less than 100%, even after NZ Super falls. Second, the survivor draws a little less from savings than the couple did ($185 against about $198), but from a smaller NZ Super base, so savings carry more of her pay: about a quarter, up from under a fifth.

Earlier deaths and higher spending

The figures hold in 9 of 10 markets. The last row shows what matters most: if the survivor needs 80% rather than 70%, the whole household has to spend about $31 a week less from the start ($1,026 against $1,057) to keep the plan safe. The timing of a death matters less than the spending that follows it.

Who is likely to be the survivor?

Nobody can know, but the odds lean one way. For people born in 1961 (turning 65 in 2026), Stats NZ's cohort tables give a woman at 65 a life expectancy of 23.7 more years and a man 21.1 years. A woman of that age has about a 50% chance of reaching 90; a man about 37%. For our example couple born around 1971, the chance that at least one of them reaches 95 is about 38%.

So in a couple of the same age, the woman is more often the survivor, and often for several years. That is a reason to make sure both partners know where the money is, how it is invested and who to call. Our how long will I live guide has the odds by birth year.

The practical money steps

Sorted, the Retirement Commission's money site, makes the point that some things need doing straight away and others can wait until you feel up to it. Having someone help can make the early weeks easier. Among the points in its guide to losing a partner:

• Jointly owned assets pass to the surviving owner, whatever the will says. Accounts in the deceased partner's name alone may be tied up until the will is confirmed by the court (probate).
• KiwiSaver balances usually go into the estate, not straight to the partner. Some workplace schemes pay a death benefit at the trustee's discretion.
• Relationship property. If you were together for three years or more, the Property Relationships Act may entitle you to half of the relationship property, unless you had an agreement.
• Insurance and tax. Check for life insurance payouts, and speak with Inland Revenue about your partner's tax affairs.

Then, when you are ready, take stock: list what you own and owe, set a budget, and review your investments. A lump sum from insurance or the estate can be added to the calculator as "a lump sum coming in", and our lump sums and inheritance guide covers what to think about. There is no rush to make big decisions, such as selling the family home, in the first months.

Planning ahead as a couple

The kindest thing a couple can do is plan the survivor's years while both of you are well. A few steps make a real difference:

1. Make or update both wills, and tell each other where they are.
2. Keep a list of accounts, KiwiSaver providers, insurance policies and logins in one place.
3. Run the couples calculator with each of you as the survivor, at a few different ages, and at 70% and 80% spending.
4. Ask whether the survivor could stay in the home on single NZ Super plus savings, or whether a move would make sense. Our downsizing guide shows what releasing money adds.
5. Read our couples retirement planning guide for the rest of the household plan.

This is general information, not financial advice, and not legal advice. For estates, wills and relationship property, talk to a lawyer; Community Law also publishes a free guide to death, funerals and small estates.

Questions

What happens to my NZ Super when my partner dies?

If you qualify, it changes to the single rate. From 1 April 2026 that is $555.15 a week after tax at M if you live alone, or $512.45 if you share your home with another adult. Work and Income will contact you about it.

Do I need to tell Work and Income?

Yes. Work and Income has an online form to register the death of someone on NZ Super, and it sends the surviving partner a Funeral Grant application form.

How much less will I spend on my own?

Usually less than the couple did, but well over half. Our calculator assumes 70%, and you can change it. Massey's spending guidelines suggest a range of roughly 55% to 75% between one and two person households.

Does my partner's KiwiSaver come to me?

Usually it goes into their estate and is then distributed under the will or the law. Jointly owned assets, such as a joint bank account, pass straight to the surviving owner.