Dear Ministry of Social Development,

I wish to understand s22 of the Superannuation act 2001. The way I read the section there is nothing to stop someone going overseas for up to 26 weeks, returning to New Zealand for a notional period - say one day, and then leaving again for the same period, all while receiving their superannuation.

1. And this is more a request for comment than an OIA request: do I understand the law correctly?

2. Have you given the Minister any advice in say the last 2 years around this issue I any form? If so,n please provide copies

3. Your website says that I must contact you, if I spend 'more time' overseas, such that I no longer 'live primarily' in NZ. I assume you provide written guidance to your staff on how to handle such situations. Please provide copies of this guidance. Within this, please consider guidance broadly: I am not sure how you refer to instructions issued to Frontline staff to guide them in managing specific cases. Please consider both formal and informal guidance.

4. If this guidance has materially changed in the past 5 years (ie under the previous government) please provide both the previous guidance and any correspodenign advice.

Yours faithfully,

Mr ED Hirsch

Dear OIA_Requests (MSD),

Fine to redact staff names and phone numbers but not job titles.

Yours sincerely,

Mr ED Hirsch