The scheme offers avenues of support for members throughout their working careers and in retirement. These include a financial advice service and several benefits designed to help members who are experiencing financial stress and/or needing help to navigate major life events. Make sure you also take full advantage of the support and advice available from Police and the Police service organisations. Some of these services are included on this page.

Retirement saving and financial wellbeing

Police Superannuation Scheme

Helpline

Our helpline is your first port of call if you have questions about your savings in the scheme. If you don’t understand something, please ask. If the helpline team can’t answer your query immediately, they’ll refer it to someone who can. You’ll find helpline contact details on the bottom of every page on this site.

Financial advice

PSS has engaged Mercer to provide a limited financial advice service to members (including retained members). Mercer’s financial advice team can help with questions about PSS and KiwiSaver, choosing the best investment option for your circumstances, saving for a first home, managing your PSS funds in retirement and more. The team can provide specific advice in relation to your savings in PSS and general information on other types of financial products. There is no individual charge to you for this service.

• Complete this online form to arrange a call back from Mercer’s financial advice team.
• Further detail on the service is available via Mercer’s financial advice disclosure statement.

PSS and KiwiSaver

Most PSS members are also in KiwiSaver. Many choose to take a savings suspension but still top up their KiwiSaver account by $1,042.86 each year (around $20 a week) so they qualify for the full government contribution of $521.43. Make a time to talk to someone from Mercer’s financial advice team if you want to talk through your options. Read more about PSS and KiwiSaver.

Choosing an investment option

Choosing an investment option or options for your PSS savings is an important decision. The best investment strategy for you will depend on several factors. Think about how long you have before you move from making contributions to spending your savings. Also consider other factors such as any other savings you may have and your appetite for risk. Use our risk profiler to help you better understand how your approach to risk translates to the investment options available to you. Talk to someone from Mercer’s financial advice team if you are unsure about your investment choice and especially if you are thinking about changing it. Remember, there is no charge to you for this service.

Retirement planning

Book a time for a pre-retirement check-up with someone from Mercer’s financial advice team if you want to make sure your savings are on track or talk through a strategy for managing your money in retirement. The Financial Services Council’s retirement planning guide is a useful starting point to help get you thinking about how you might create an income in retirement. You might also want to spend some time exploring our retirement income calculator for Police, an online tool you can use to estimate your retirement income based on different scenarios. Sign in to your account to use the retirement income calculator.

NZ Police

Police Wellness Hub

The Police Wellness Hub offers all serving employees and their families access to a wide range of information and advice aimed at keeping you safe and well, which includes content on financial wellbeing. For more information or if you have difficulty accessing the hub, contact the Safer People group. 

New Zealand Police Association

The Police Association is dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of police and their families through advocacy and industrial expertise and by providing a suite of cost-effective and well-managed welfare products.

Police Welfare Fund

The Police Welfare Fund is a collection of discretionary benefits and entitlements that apply for certain products and services available to members of the Police Welfare Fund and their dependants. 

For additional assistance, call 0800 500 122.

Financial Wellbeing Programme

In partnership with the Police Association, Naked Finance presents the Financial Wellbeing Programme. This programme is designed to help members improve their financial health in light of the current cost-of-living challenges. The programme is accessible to members of the Police Association at no cost.

Estate planning

In partnership with the Police Association, Perpetual Guardian provides estate planning at discounted rates. 

• A will is a document that gives instructions for the distribution of your assets after you die. 
• An enduring power of attorney (both for property and for personal care and welfare) sets out who can take care of your personal or financial matters if you are no longer able. It is a document for when you are living (unlike a will).
• A trust can help you to keep specific assets such as your home in the family for future generations. It may also help to protect against claims on your estate or other claims during your lifetime.

For additional assistance, call 0800 737 738.

Additional resources

These New Zealand-based websites have helpful information on a wide range of financial matters:

• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Sorted
• MoneyHub

Major life events

Financial hardship

Significant financial hardship benefit

You may be able to access some of your savings in the scheme if you are experiencing significant financial hardship. This benefit is not automatic and your application must meet specific criteria before we can grant it. For example, we expect you will have first explored other reasonable options to address your financial situation. However, we understand the stressful nature of Police work and will consider this when assessing your application. If your application is reasonable and appropriate and falls within the guidelines, we will do our best to help you.

Budgeting

Another avenue of support is the employee assistance programme (EAP). All Police staff are eligible for three free sessions. This includes access to budgeting advice if you want to sit down with an adviser and sort out a plan to get on top of things. Talk to your local Police Wellness Advisor or contact the EAP direct on 0800 327 669.

Buying a first home

You can apply to access your savings in PSS towards the purchase of a first home in the same way as KiwiSaver members. In limited circumstances, you may also be able to access funds if you have previously owned a home. Contact the helpline if you have questions about the application process. Contact Mercer’s financial advice team if you would like advice about how to invest your savings leading up to or after making a first-home withdrawal.

Parental leave

You are eligible for employer contributions while on parental leave and some other kinds of leave without pay. You just need to pay the member contributions you’ve missed. There are three ways to make up your member contributions. Most members choose to make catch-up contributions when they return to work. Read more about your options.

Contact your Payroll Officer if you have questions about leave without pay. You’ll find the contact details you need on the Human Resources page on the intranet.

The Police Association has published a comprehensive guide on what you need to know as an employee throughout a pregnancy or adoption and the parental leave process.

Download the Police Association Parental Leave Pack.

You might also like to join the Mums in Blue Facebook page – a social networking space for women balancing the demands of parenthood and a Police career.

Relationship breakdown

You may apply to make a withdrawal from the scheme to settle a division of your relationship property. Your application must be supported by a copy of either a court order or an agreement between you and your former spouse or partner. The latter is the more straightforward option. Read more about relationship property settlements.

Changing jobs at Police

If you take up a new job at Police, say moving from a Police employee to a constabulary role or vice versa, it could affect your membership of the scheme. This page explains your options. Contact payroll@police.govt.nz if you have further questions.

Wellness Services

For any serving employee experiencing financial stress or needing support to navigate major life events, Police Wellness Services offers expert advice and support through dedicated Wellness Advisors as well as support services that include EAP and the Chaplaincy Service. Look for ‘wellness services’ in the Safer People section on the intranet.