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Class Action to Challenge MSD Has Been Proposed

Press Release

Without Prejudice

A CLASS ACTION TO CHALLENGE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN PROPOSED AND IS BEING INVESTIGATED.

A class action has been proposed and is being worked on against the Ministry of Social Development, (MSD) in respect to the pension schemes run by them for the NZ Govt under Section 70.

Section 70, (S70) which the MSD has in place is being used surreptitiously to deduct pensions and savings schemes from Kiwis who‘ve worked overseas and immigrants relocating to New Zealand to spend their final years in this country.

In 2004 the High Court of New Zealand ruled, (because of the case in front of them) that what MSD were doing was ILLEGAL. (Refer: Sant Raj Rai High Court case 2004). MSD has disregarded this ruling and continued to take over $500M per annum from returning kiwis and immigrant pensioners to subsidise the NZ pension’s scheme.

After this ruling, the CEO of MSD attempted to have the wording in the Judges findings changed so he could continue to illegally remove overseas pension. That too was rejected by the High Court. More recently he has attempted to change the wording in S70 to read, “Overseas pensions are a tax imposed by overseas Governments”. That too is incorrect and can be confirmed by talking with other overseas Governments and letters sent to the NZSP by overseas governments.

Both sets of individuals, (totalling 160000+) have overseas pensions which are not contributed to by that country’s government and therefore do not fall under S70 direct deduction policy, but still MSD remove these pensions.

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MSD has, when challenged had to repay deductions to certain individuals from overseas.

Recently MSD had to repay $88000 to an Asian couple after being found in breach of this deduction process. (see at foot of this release for more instances.) Many pensions/savings schemes from other countries do not have any Government contributions, these pensions are paid for from individual’s personal wages with a top up from the company they worked for and therefore are exempt the direct deduction policy.

MSD states that returning kiwis and immigrants relocating to NZ must relinquish their overseas pensions and savings schemes, and that goes for any/all individuals from any/all countries MSD have also stated that it is a level playing field for all immigrants and returning kiwis. No one in NZ can have two pensions!!

You have to ask yourself then…….

WHY are Chinese and Islanders able to retain their savings/pensions from their own country, and obtain a full NZ pension, when those funds are deducted from immigrants from 33 other countries, totalling $350m+ per annum. There is no level playing field here. S70 direct deduction policy also affects returning kiwis (77000, $150m pa) who have paid into financial schemes overseas.

The current massive influx of immigrants into NZ is placing undue pressure on our infrastructures, housing, the reduction of job opportunities for kiwis, purchase of land and farms and the taking over of small and medium sized businesses. The strain on funding by allowing the repatriation of parents of these immigrants is placing a further strain on the current over-burdened NZ pension scheme.

THIS HAS TO STOP!!!!!!!.

New Zealand Seniors Party believe a pro rata pension scheme based on a timeframe of residency (say 20-30 years) would have a positive impact on NZ pensions scheme, without having to disadvantage the current 160000 kiwis and immigrants having their overseas pensions illegally deducted.

Consider all this information and work with us to make a change, because if it’s not affecting you now……it will be in the future……we will all be old one day!!!!. There are likely to be more changes affecting all future pensioners…..

To conclude one has to question what the Government is going to do in the future with the funds in the Kiwi Saver after all they contribute to them???

Release ends

Refer below for more information.

For your information……OTHER REMOVAL NOTIFICATIONS.

Check how super schemes and benefits MP’s are allowed when departing their government posts, and when they receive them…..they don’t have to wait for pension age!!

We have learned of an islander continuing to receive her dead husband’s pension together with a full NZ pension, and who has never worked a day in her life either in the islands or in NZ?

A kiwi who married an American! The American pension was greater than the sum of his NZ pension, the kiwi can’t claim a NZ pension!! Why?

Why do they have to live solely on the US pension? The answer is self-explanatory.

How can anyone who has never worked in the UK and never paid into the UK pension fund, be forced by MSD to apply for a UK pension, which when approved by the UK (Impossible to work out why?) has that amount of money paid into a Westpac bank account they are forced to open, but have no access to, then deducted by MSD.

Singaporeans have their Singapore CPF fund removed by MSD, when a senior member of the NZ government was allowed to retain his CPF Fund after working in Singapore, bring it back to NZ and deposit it in his Kiwi savings account…why, what’s the difference…..a decision by MSD to add additional funds to their illegal actions.

MSD are using and retaining the same conversion rates for long periods to access even more funds form converting pensions from around the world. Conversion rates operate within a dynamic market with rates changing every minute……so why retain the same rate for a month or more at a time? The answer is simple!!! …MORE MONEY IN MSD’s illegal fund!!!

If anyone can find a level playing field from all the inequities demanded by MSD then we would like to hear from them??

We are in possession of many more instances that demonstrate how MSD are stealing funds from both Kiwis and immigrants!!

THIS HAS TO STOP!!!!.......NOW!!!

Join the NZSP NOW and have your rights restored and your illegally removed funds returned from MSD.

Collectively we can make this happen!!!!!!!


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