Money help when your partner dies in New Zealand

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed quarterly, when the underlying data is restated.

When your partner dies in New Zealand, the main money help is the Work and Income Funeral Grant (up to $2,697.43, tested on income and assets), ACC grants if the death came from an injury ACC covers (a funeral grant of up to $8,236.40 and a survivor's grant of $8,830.47 for a partner), access to joint accounts and funeral money, and your rights under the will or the law. This page is general information as at 20 October 2026.

Support for a surviving partner comes from four different places, and they work by different rules. Work and Income pays a means-tested Funeral Grant and can keep some payments going for a short time. ACC pays larger grants, with no income or asset test described on its pages, but only when the death is from a covered injury. The estate and the law decide what you inherit and what you can claim. Your own accounts, insurance and employer make up the rest. Which ones apply depends on how your partner died, what they left and whether you have children. Nothing here is legal advice. For a will, intestacy or a claim against an estate, speak to a lawyer, Public Trust or your local Community Law centre.

Start with the cause of death

The biggest dividing line is whether ACC covers the death. Do not assume either way.

	Work and Income Funeral Grant	ACC
When it applies	Any death, if you meet the tests and your partner normally lived in New Zealand	Only where the death is from an injury ACC covers
Funeral help	Up to $2,697.43 (as at 1 April 2026)	Up to $8,236.40, set by the date of death. Up to $10,000 in total in a homicide
Other payments	None for survivors on this grant	Survivor's grant of $8,830.47 for a partner and $4,415.25 for each child under 18 or dependant; childcare payments; loss of income payments of up to 80%
Tested?	Yes: your income and assets, and your partner's assets	ACC's pages list no income or asset test for the funeral grant
Tax	Non-taxable	Tax-free (grants)
How to claim	Work and Income application, confirmation of death, itemised funeral account	Form ACC21, signed by a spouse or partner, next of kin or executor
Time limit	"No time limit" to apply	"No time limit"

You cannot receive both funeral grants. Work and Income does not pay its grant if an ACC funeral grant is payable, and it cannot top up costs left over after ACC pays (Work and Income, Funeral Grant payment rules; ACC). Our ACC funeral grant guide explains which deaths ACC covers.

The first weeks: money you can reach now

Joint accounts. A joint bank account passes to the other owner immediately and is not part of the estate (Community Law).
Accounts in your partner's name. Banks freeze them, but "funds can be released to pay for the funeral". You do not need to be the executor or wait for probate; you contact the bank and ask (govt.nz: What to do when someone dies).
Your partner's benefit or NZ Super. Work and Income says payments may continue for up to 28 days where a partner or dependent children survive, unless you receive an ACC survivor's grant (Work and Income: Payments when a client dies). Tell Work and Income promptly. See NZ Super after a death.
Bereavement leave. You are entitled to 3 days' leave for the death of a spouse or partner if you meet the employment test (6 months' current continuous employment, or an hours-based alternative). It need not be taken consecutively, and your employer cannot make you take it as annual holidays (Employment NZ). See bereavement leave.
Travel to the funeral. If you cannot afford to travel, Work and Income names an Advance Payment of Benefit (if you are on a benefit) or a Recoverable Assistance Payment (if not). These may need repaying (Work and Income: Bereavement).
myTrove is a free service that lets you notify 200+ participating organisations at once (myTrove). Our who to notify checklist has the rest.

The Work and Income Funeral Grant when your partner died

The grant is non-taxable and is not repaid if the criteria are met. For a partner, your annual income before tax must be under these limits (Work and Income: Funeral Grant):

Your situation	Income limit
Aged 16 to 17, no children	$33,518.68
Aged 18 or over, no children	$38,522.12
Parent with one child	$46,745.92
Parent with two or more children	$49,248.68

On assets, the first $2,351.46 of yours is ignored, and your partner's assets are counted. The grant is the lesser of the maximum and the unmet balance of the funeral bill. The family home, family car, furniture and possessions are not assessed where the person left a partner or children, but cash assets are, including life insurance proceeds and the balance of a prepaid funeral account (Work and Income Map: assets). That is why a prepaid plan or a payout can reduce the grant. If you are turned down, you can ask for a review within 3 months of the decision, or later for good reason (Social Security Act 2018, ss 391 and 392). Our funeral grant guide walks through the application.

ACC, if the death was from an injury

ACC's page lists a survivor's grant of $8,830.47 for a partner, childcare payments of $187.78 for one child (less per child for more than one, up to five years or age 14), and loss of income payments of up to 80%. These are in addition to the funeral grant. The ACC21 form can be completed by anyone, but must be signed by a spouse or partner, next of kin or the executor. ACC's page was last published 22 July 2026; amounts change on 1 July. Our ACC survivor's grant guide has the detail.

Your rights under the will or the law

This is the part people most often miss, because it is not a grant. It depends on what your partner left.

If there is a will, it governs, subject to your rights below. The executor can check whether your partner set up a way to pay for the funeral, such as a prepaid trust, insurance or a joint account.
If there is no will, the Administration Act 1969 (section 77) applies. A partner with no children and no surviving parent receives the personal chattels, $155,000 plus interest from the date of death, and the rest of the estate. With children, you receive the chattels, the $155,000 plus interest, and one third of the rest; the children take two thirds. A de facto partner in a relationship under 3 years can be excluded unless a court finds otherwise (Public Trust: When there is no will; Administration Act 1969).
Relationship property choice. A surviving partner can choose between taking what the will or intestacy gives (option B), or applying for a division of relationship property (option A). You must choose in writing, with a lawyer's certificate, within 6 months of the grant of probate or administration. If you do not choose, option B applies (Property (Relationships) Act 1976, ss 61 to 68). Get legal advice first.
Family Protection Act. A partner can apply if the will and the estate do not make adequate provision for proper maintenance and support. The window is 12 months from the grant (Family Protection Act 1955, ss 3, 4 and 9).
Small sums. Under Administration Act s 65, banks and others may pay up to $40,000 per payer to a partner or other relation without a court grant (from 24 September 2025), but they choose whether to (Community Law). See probate.
No inheritance tax. Estate duty ended for deaths from 17 December 1992 (Estate Duty Abolition Act 1993).

What does not exist, and what to watch for

There is no bereavement lump sum on Work and Income's bereavement page, which names the Funeral Grant, travel help and ACC support. We found no source for a "surviving spouse lump sum" and have not included one.
Retirement savings. Your partner's KiwiSaver balance goes to their estate (or through the small-sum route); it is not paid to a named beneficiary, so it is handled with the other estate assets (scheme legislation, Schedule 1). See deceased estate assets.
Unclaimed money. Money organisations cannot return goes to Inland Revenue, and can be claimed later with proof of authority (Inland Revenue: Claiming unclaimed money).

If your partner had life or funeral cover

Check for a policy, and who owns it. Who is paid depends on ownership and the insurer's terms (Community Law). An insurer needs a death certificate, and may need the will or probate. Asteron Life, for example, lists those documents and says payment "typically takes two days" once a claim is accepted (Asteron Life: claims). See life insurance payouts after a death. If there was no cover, this guide covers your options.

Planning ahead, for yourself

If you are thinking about cover for your own household, the options are narrow. Momentum Life's Quick Life accepts ages 18 to 65 for $50,000 to $300,000 with no health questions, but for the first 2 years it excludes pre-existing conditions and suicide. Funeral Insurance accepts ages 40 to 75 for $3,000 to $30,000, and for the first 24 months pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident. A healthy person may get more cover for less through a licensed adviser using fully underwritten cover. Total premiums can exceed what is paid out, and a funeral benefit may not cover a whole funeral. Momentum Life's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair) (financial strength page). The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's online applications, and the funeral cover page and the funeral insurance hub give the full terms. Costs of a funeral itself are covered in our funeral costs section.

If you are planning ahead for your own funeral costs

Get a quote and apply online today

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Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k

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Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

Adviser's view

The support you can claim turns mostly on how your partner died. An accident ACC covers opens larger, untested payments. Any other death leaves the smaller, tested Work and Income grant, and your own legal rights under the will or the law. There is no general bereavement lump sum. Check both agencies, keep every receipt, and take legal advice before you decide anything about the estate.

Henry Smith, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Money Help After Your Partner Dies NZ. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/money-help-after-a-partner-dies-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.