65-year-old says it's wrong she gets less NZ Super for being married
A married Christchurch woman says it is “ridiculous” she is paid less New Zealand Superannuation than someone who is single and living with another adult.
A married person gets a pension of $817.32 a fortnight, before tax, compared with the $990.20 received by a person sharing with someone who is not their spouse or partner.
“I have a friend who isn't in a relationship, but she's sharing a house, and they share all the expenses, and she's going to end up getting $172.88 more than me a fortnight which is just plain wrong,” said Daphne, who did not want her last name used for privacy concerns.
The combined fortnightly payment for a couple is $1634.64.
The Ministry of Social Development said people in a relationship were more likely to share a wider range of costs and resources than a single person living with another adult.
Read the full story here and tell us what you think in the comments below.
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Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?
As reported in the Press, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman recently gave a shout-out to our region, calling Canterbury a "stand-out" for how we recover from tough times. With tech firms growing and exporters investing, the business side of things is looking bright!
👉 But we know that "business growth" doesn't always mean the weekly shop gets any cheaper. While the city expands, many families feel like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.
We want to know: With the business buzz of 2026, do you feel like things are finally looking up for your household, or does it still feel like a climb?
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22.2% Yes
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50% No
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27.8% In some areas ...
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