Health of Older People in New Zealand

Questions and Answers on the Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Regulations 2005

Where can I access a full version of the Social Security (Long-Term Residential Care) Regulations 2005 made under section 155 of the Act?

Regulations relating to the provision of long-term residential care under section 155 of the Social Security Act 1964 were notified in the New Zealand Gazette on 30 June 2005. Copies of the Regulations are available through Bennetts Government Bookshops and online at
http://rangi.knowledge-basket.co.nz/regs/regs/text/2005/2005183.txt

The Social Security (Long-Term Residential Care) Regulations 2005 cover a number of policy matters not covered in detail in the new Part 4 of the Act.

Currently the Regulations:

• prescribe benefit entitlements and rates of benefit for the partner of a person in care (where some or all of the cost of the residential care services are being publicly funded)
• identify classes of persons exempt from income and asset testing
• prescribe how a person is to be assessed as being, or no longer being, an elderly victim of crime
• set the level of the clothing and personal allowances
• prescribe the gifting period and allowable gifts
• prescribe an amount or type of assets that are exempt from the asset test
• prescribe income that is exempt from the income test.

Increases in the amount of exempt income from assets will be notified by Gazette on 1 July 2006. The personal and clothing allowances and the allowable level of gifting will be adjusted on 1 April each year taking into account Consumers’ Price Index adjustments for the previous 1 March. These changes will be notified in the New Zealand Gazette.


Page last reviewed: 20 July 2007