Living Alone Payment

The Living Alone Payment (LAP) is an additional, taxable allowance paid to single people who are receiving New Zealand Superannuation or a Veterans Pension and are living on their own.

The intention of the Living Alone Payment is to provide an additional payment to single superannuitants who live alone. The payment is in recognition of the extra costs they face in maintaining their household compared to people who share accommodation and who can live more cheaply.

To get the Living Alone Payment (LAP) you must be:

receiving NZ Superannuation or Veterans Pension
unmarried (some married couples can be treated as unmarried)
living alone and
living in their principal place of residence

Married people who may be eligible for LAP include:

the partner of a long term patient in a public hospital
the partner of a person in residential care who is receiving a Residential Care Subsidy
the partner of a person in a rest home or private hospital who is entitled to receive the single rate of payment
legally married customers living apart with the intention of ending their marriage
the partner of a person in prison, when it has been decided to regard the partner as a single person

You are regarded as 'living alone' when you are not sharing the residence or accommodation and household expenses with any person. Dependent children and visitors who stay less than 13 weeks in any 26 week period are excluded.

Place of Residence.

To qualify for LAP your principal place or residence must be either:

a house or flat ;
a hotel room ;
a motel unit;
a boat;
a room in a boarding house; or
a unit of accommodation in a caravan park

Rented Accommodation.

Rented accommodation may include 'granny flats' or a residence on a common property. You must be paying market rent or rent set by a public authority . The house must be fully self-contained and the customer must be fully responsible for household and accommodation expenses. LAP cannot be paid where facilities and/or accommodation and household expenses are shared with the principal residence. There are some exceptions where the flat or residence is on jointly owned land.

Retirement villages

If you are living alone in a self-contained flat/unit in a retirement village LAP can be paid if the other conditions of entitlement are met. Similarly, if you are living in self- contained flat/unit which is part of a rest home complex you can be considered for LAP. Rest homes usually have a clear distinction between units designed for independent living and serviced units or units with limited facilities. Only units that are self contained and designed for independent living can be considered for LAP.

Hotels/motels & Boarding Houses & Boats

If you are living in hotels/motels or Boarding Houses or in a boat in internal waters of New Zealand you can qualify for LAP provided you meet the other conditions.

Caravans/Motor Camp

Units of accommodation in a caravan park, motor camp or camping ground are cabins, flats and caravans. The unit does not have to be self contained - the sharing of facilities is acceptable. Caravans not in caravan parks do not qualify.

Hospitals-

For people admitted to Public hospitals , the payment continues for the first 13 weeks then the rate is changed to the hospital rate. In Private hospitals - the rate is changed after 13 weeks to the single sharing rate.

The current rate for a person that qualifies for the Living Alone Payment is $263.90 a week after tax.

For more information

contact your nearest NZ Super Centre or freephone 0800 552 002.

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