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Life and Money

When Your Partner Dies: The First 90 Days of Money

🕊️ Take it one step at a time

Losing a partner is one of the hardest things anyone goes through, and the money side can feel overwhelming when you are also grieving. The most important thing to know is that almost nothing has to be done today, this week, or even this month. There is no rush, and there is help. This guide sets out the practical money steps in a calm order, so you can do a little at a time and leave the rest for later. It covers getting copies of the death certificate, telling the bank, the Work and Income Funeral Grant, changes to NZ Super and benefits, Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver, the will and whether probate is needed, life insurance, and the ongoing bills. It also gives you the free places to turn for help, and one piece of advice worth holding onto: do not make big, hard to reverse money decisions in the first months. Everything in this guide has been checked against New Zealand sources.

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You do not have to do it alone: Free, confidential help is available. MoneyTalks financial mentors can walk you through the money side on 0800 345 123. Citizens Advice Bureau and Community Law can help with the paperwork and your rights, both at no cost. For your wellbeing, you can free call or free text 1737 any time to talk with a trained counsellor, and Skylight Trust offers grief and loss support.

Get several copies of the death certificate

A death certificate is the official proof of death, and you will need it again and again: for the bank, for KiwiSaver and insurers, and for closing accounts. Rather than borrowing one copy back and forth, it helps to order several at once. In New Zealand you order a death certificate through Births, Deaths and Marriages at certificates.services.govt.nz. A standard certificate costs $35, with free standard post, and most people receive it within one to two weeks. Your funeral director can often arrange the certificate for you as part of their service, so it is worth asking.

💡 Why order more than one copy

Each organisation that holds money, such as a bank, a KiwiSaver provider or a life insurer, will usually want to see a death certificate before it acts. Having three or four copies means you can deal with several of them at the same time instead of waiting for one copy to come back. In the very first days, some organisations will accept a funeral director's notification while the formal certificate is being issued.

Tell the bank

Once you are ready, let your partner's bank or banks know. Most banks have a dedicated bereavement team and let you start by phone, online or in a branch. You do not need every document at the first contact. Telling the bank does not empty the account or lock the family out of everything. It freezes the accounts held in your partner's sole name so nothing can be taken that should not be, and it stops the direct debits and automatic payments on those accounts. Accounts you held jointly are treated differently, and usually keep working for you, which we cover in the next section.

💡 The bank can pay the funeral bill directly

Even when a sole account is frozen to ordinary withdrawals, banks have a process to pay the funeral invoice straight to the funeral director from the deceased person's account, and often a few essential outgoings such as rates or a final power bill. That means you do not have to fund the funeral out of your own pocket while the estate is being sorted. Ask the bereavement team how to submit the invoice. Our companion guide on bank accounts when someone dies goes into more detail.

⚠️ Check what is paid from a joint account

If your everyday bills came out of your partner's sole account, some direct debits will stop when that account is frozen. Make a short list of anything important, such as house insurance, rent or a mortgage payment, and set it up again from an account in your name or a joint account so nothing lapses at a bad time.

💵 Help with money now: grants, NZ Super and IRD

There is practical help available in the first weeks, and you do not have to be on a benefit to get some of it. This section covers the Work and Income Funeral Grant, what happens to NZ Super or a benefit, and letting Inland Revenue know.

The Work and Income Funeral Grant

A Funeral Grant helps with the cost of a funeral when the person who died did not leave enough to cover it. You do not have to be on a benefit to qualify, and you do not have to pay the grant back. The person who died must have normally lived in New Zealand. The grant is both income tested and asset tested: Work and Income counts what the person who died left behind, and if the person was your partner, it also looks at your income against a set limit. It then pays whichever is lower, the maximum grant or the funeral costs left over after those assets are taken into account.

Current maximum: The most a Funeral Grant can pay is $2,697.43. The actual amount depends on the income and asset test, and on any other help available to you. You apply using Work and Income's Funeral Grant application, and you can call them to talk it through.
💡 A grant is not the same as prepaid cover

If the funeral is already covered by prepaid funeral cover, insurance, or another organisation, you may not be able to get a Funeral Grant, because it is there to fill a gap, not to duplicate cover that already exists. It is still worth applying if you are unsure, as Work and Income can tell you where you stand.

NZ Super and benefit changes

If your partner was receiving NZ Super, a Veteran's Pension or a benefit, that payment needs to be reported to Work and Income so it can be stopped or changed. You can report a senior's death on 0800 552 002, or a general benefit on 0800 559 009, and there is an online form for NZ Super and Veteran's Pension. Depending on your circumstances, Work and Income may keep paying for up to 28 days after the death, and if you are the surviving partner you can ask for that to be paid into your account. Your own entitlement may change too, so it is worth asking what you can now get, including any bereavement help.

💡 Report it, do not just let it run

If payments keep landing in your partner's own account after they have died, that money usually has to be paid back, and sorting it out later is more work at a hard time. Reporting the death promptly lets Work and Income redirect or stop the payment cleanly. Any amount paid over the 28 days can be taken into account against other help, so it is best done up front.

Let Inland Revenue know

Inland Revenue is usually told automatically when a death is registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages, so you may not need to contact them separately at first. There is still some tax to tidy up. The person's income needs to be finalised up to the date of death, and if the estate then earns income, for example interest on savings while it is being settled, the estate may need its own IRD number. The executor or administrator usually handles this, and an accountant or the free services below can help if it feels unfamiliar.

⚠️ Watch for Working for Families and other entitlements

If your household received Working for Families Tax Credits or other income tested help, your entitlement can change when your partner's income is no longer counted. Tell Inland Revenue and Work and Income about the change so your payments are put right, rather than facing a bill or missing out on help you are now entitled to.

📄 The estate, KiwiSaver, insurance and big decisions

The estate is simply everything your partner owned and owed. Settling it can be straightforward or take some months, and how you deal with the bigger assets depends on how they were owned and how much they are worth.

The will, the executor and joint assets

If your partner left a will, it names an executor, the person responsible for settling the estate. If there is no will, the estate is shared under the intestacy rules and someone applies to be administrator. Assets you owned jointly, such as a jointly owned home or a joint bank account, usually pass straight to you by survivorship and sit outside the estate, so they are not held up while the rest is settled. Assets in your partner's sole name are dealt with through the estate.

When probate is needed

Probate is the High Court's confirmation that the will is valid and the executor can act. Whether you need it depends on how much a single institution holds. A bank, KiwiSaver provider or insurer can generally release funds without a grant of probate up to a set threshold, and needs a grant above it.

Current threshold: From 24 September 2025 the threshold rose from $15,000 to $40,000. An institution can generally release up to $40,000 held for a deceased person without a grant of probate, and above that a grant is usually required. This change was made by the Administration (Prescribed Amounts) Amendment Regulations 2025, which lifted the amounts in the Administration Act 1969. A house or land in your partner's sole name always needs a grant, whatever the value.

KiwiSaver on death

KiwiSaver cannot be paid to a beneficiary you nominate the way some overseas schemes can. When a member dies, their whole KiwiSaver balance is paid into their estate and then distributed under the will or the intestacy rules. The provider follows the same broad approach as a bank: for a balance under the $40,000 threshold it can usually release the funds without a grant, and above that the executor generally needs probate first. Contact the KiwiSaver provider directly to start the process.

Life insurance and other cover

If your partner had life insurance, contact the insurer to make a claim. You will usually need the death certificate and the policy details. A life policy commonly pays a lump sum to a named beneficiary or to the estate, and it is often one of the faster things to be paid, which can ease the first months. Check for cover you might not think of, such as mortgage protection insurance, funeral cover, or life cover attached to a KiwiSaver or superannuation scheme or a credit card.

Ongoing bills and subscriptions

Over the coming weeks, work through the regular payments in your partner's name: power, phone, internet, streaming and other subscriptions, insurance, and any memberships. Some can be cancelled, and some, like house insurance or a power account, need to be moved into your name so cover and services continue. There is no need to do this all at once. A simple list, worked through a few at a time, is enough.

⚠️ Do not make big, irreversible money decisions yet

In the first months, grief and pressure can push people toward big decisions that are hard to undo, such as selling the family home, making large gifts, paying off other people's debts, or moving savings into a new scheme. Well meaning family and even salespeople may push too. Wherever you can, park these decisions. Keep money where it is, get independent advice from a lawyer or financial mentor first, and give yourself time. A decision that still makes sense in six months can be made then. One that only made sense under pressure is best avoided.

🔢 Worked New Zealand examples

These four examples show how the money steps play out. The figures are illustrative, but the method follows the current New Zealand rules. They focus on the money steps, so you can see the order things happen in.

1
Mere keeps the joint account by survivorship

Situation: Tom and Mere, a married couple, held a joint everyday account with $9,000 and a joint savings account with $46,000. Tom also had a savings account of $12,000 in his sole name. Tom dies, and Mere wants to know what she can still use.

How the accounts are treated

Joint everyday account: $9,000 passes to Mere by survivorship
Joint savings account: $46,000 passes to Mere by survivorship
Tom's sole account: $12,000 is frozen and dealt with through the estate
Mere keeps the $55,000 in joint accounts, and no probate is needed for those

Mere shows the bank Tom's death certificate, the bank removes his name, and the joint accounts continue in her name. Notice the $46,000 joint savings passes to her even though it is above the $40,000 probate threshold, because survivorship applies before the threshold comes into play. Tom's $12,000 sole account is under $40,000, so the bank can usually release it to the estate on the paperwork, without a grant of probate.

The lesson: Joint accounts pass to the surviving partner outside the estate, whatever the balance. The probate threshold only applies to accounts in the sole name of the person who died.
2
Sina applies for a Funeral Grant

Situation: Sina's husband died. The funeral director's invoice is $9,800. Her husband left $900 in a sole account and no other assets. Sina's income is below the limit that applies for a surviving partner, and no prepaid cover or insurance is paying for the funeral.

How the grant is worked out

Funeral costs: $9,800
Less the assets her husband left: $9,800 - $900 = $8,900 of unmet cost
Maximum Funeral Grant: $2,697.43
Grant paid: the lower of the two, so Sina receives $2,697.43

Because the unmet cost of $8,900 is far more than the maximum, Sina receives the full maximum grant of $2,697.43 toward the funeral, and she does not have to pay it back. If her husband had left more in assets, or if another organisation was covering the funeral, the grant could be lower or nil.

💡 Apply even if you are unsure

The income and asset test can look complicated, but you do not have to work it out yourself. Work and Income assess it from your application. If you are not sure whether you qualify, it is still worth applying, and MoneyTalks or a Community Law centre can help you complete the form.

3
David's estate needs a grant of probate

Situation: David dies leaving a valid will that names his wife Ana as executor. He held $62,000 in a savings account in his sole name and a KiwiSaver balance of $48,000. Ana asks the bank and the KiwiSaver provider to release the money.

Testing each holding against the threshold

Sole savings account: $62,000, which is above $40,000
KiwiSaver balance: $48,000, which is above $40,000
Both are over the threshold, so a grant of probate is generally required before they are released

Ana applies to the High Court for probate, which confirms the will is valid and that she can act as executor. Once she gives the bank and the KiwiSaver provider the grant, along with the death certificate and her identification, the money is released to the estate. In the meantime the accounts stay frozen, though the bank can still pay the funeral invoice directly. Applying for probate can take several weeks, so it helps to start early.

⚠️ Plan for the wait

Money above the threshold is not available until probate is granted, which can take some weeks. This is why the funeral can be paid from the account directly, and why holding an everyday account jointly makes the first weeks easier. Our executor and probate guides walk through the steps if you are the one applying.

4
Rosa pauses a big decision

Situation: Two months after her partner died, Rosa feels she should sell the family home quickly to simplify things. A relative is urging her to sell now. The home is worth about $700,000 and Rosa does not actually need to sell to pay any bills.

Weighing a rushed sale against waiting

Home value: about $700,000
A rushed sale in a slow month, say 5% under a considered price: $700,000 × 5% = $35,000 less
Plus selling costs and the cost of moving and re-buying later if she regrets it
By waiting and taking advice, Rosa avoids a possible $35,000 loss on a decision she may not need to make at all

Rosa decides to pause. She checks that the bills are covered, keeps her savings where they are, and books a free session with a financial mentor and a short appointment with a lawyer. Six months on, with a clearer head, she can decide calmly whether selling still makes sense. Nothing has been lost by waiting, and a large, hard to reverse decision has not been made under pressure.

The lesson: Time is on your side with big money decisions. Keeping things as they are, and getting independent advice before you sell, gift or move large sums, protects you from choices that are expensive or impossible to undo.

Sources

Figures and rules in this guide were checked in July 2026 against the following official and primary sources:

  • Work and Income, "Funeral Grant" (maximum $2,697.43, income and asset tested, no repayment) and "Payments when a client dies" (up to 28 days, report on 0800 552 002 or 0800 559 009), workandincome.govt.nz
  • Ministry of Justice, "Increased probate threshold good news for bereaved families" ($15,000 to $40,000 from 24 September 2025, Administration (Prescribed Amounts) Amendment Regulations 2025), justice.govt.nz
  • Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver payment on death and finalising a deceased person's tax, ird.govt.nz
  • Department of Internal Affairs, Births, Deaths and Marriages, ordering a death certificate ($35 standard certificate), certificates.services.govt.nz and govt.nz
  • MoneyTalks free financial helpline 0800 345 123 (moneytalks.co.nz), and 1737 Need to Talk free call or text, and Skylight Trust grief support

Note: banks, providers and Work and Income apply their own policies within the law, so exact thresholds, timeframes and documents can vary. Confirm the detail with the specific organisation, and treat probate figures as the position from 24 September 2025. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Related tools and guides

🎯 Test Your Knowledge

Complete this 10-question quiz to check your understanding of the money steps after a partner dies

1. What usually happens to a bank account you held jointly with your partner when they die?
It is frozen until probate is granted
It usually passes to you as the surviving partner by survivorship
It is split between the estate and the children
It is closed and paid to the government
2. What is the current maximum Work and Income Funeral Grant?
$1,500.00
$2,697.43
$5,000.00
$7,580.60
3. Since 24 September 2025, above what amount does an institution generally need a grant of probate to release a deceased person's funds?
$15,000
$25,000
$40,000
$100,000
4. What happens to your partner's KiwiSaver balance when they die?
It is kept by the KiwiSaver provider
It is paid into their estate and distributed under the will or intestacy
It is paid to a beneficiary you nominated with the provider
It is paid straight to the surviving partner tax free
5. Does telling the bank empty the accounts or lock the family out of everything?
Yes, all the money is removed at once
No, sole accounts are frozen but the funeral can still be paid and joint accounts keep working
Yes, the family cannot access any money for a year
No, nothing changes until the will is read
6. How long may Work and Income keep paying NZ Super after a partner dies, depending on the circumstances?
It stops the same day, always
Up to 28 days
Up to 12 months
It continues to the surviving partner forever
7. What is the best approach to big money decisions in the first months?
Sell the house quickly to simplify things
Avoid big, hard to reverse decisions until you have independent advice
Move all savings into a new scheme straight away
Make large gifts to family while emotions are high
8. Where do you order a death certificate in New Zealand?
From your bank
From Births, Deaths and Marriages at certificates.services.govt.nz
From Inland Revenue
From the High Court only
9. Which free helpline offers budgeting and debt support at no cost?
The bank's sales line
MoneyTalks on 0800 345 123
A paid financial adviser only
There is no free help available
10. Is the Funeral Grant income and asset tested, and does it have to be repaid?
It is not tested, and it must be repaid
Yes, it is income and asset tested, and it does not have to be repaid
Only people on a benefit can get it, and it is repaid
It is a loan against the estate

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