The Senior citizen policies of the eight parties in Parliament are compared in the table below.
The Herald is covering all the major policy areas in a series running throughout the election campaign.
| Party | Policy | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | Continue to adjust superannuation to ensure the rate for a married couple is equivalent to at least 66 per cent of the average wage. Continuation of current policies, eg removing asset testing for older people in long-stay residential care. Recent increase to super payment through the tax cuts. New policy still to be announced. | |
| National | Commitment to keep super payments at 66 per cent of the average after-tax wage. This plus the economic package will see a rise in incomes of retired New Zealanders. Allowing non-qualified partners of superannuitants to earn 25 per cent more before super payments affected. | |
| NZ First | Will immediately revise how super is calculated to ensure the minimum base level cannot fall below 66 per cent; incrementally raise the level first to 68 per cent, then to 72.5 per cent over time. Cement in place entitlement to super at 65 years, $300 power subsidy, broaden the benefits of the SuperGold Card. | |
| Greens | Super rate for a couple not to fall below 65 per cent of average wage, keep SuperGold Card concessions, abolish asset testing, improve funding of residential care. | |
| Maori Party | Adjust superannuation to age 60 to cover those people who have a lower life expectancy, free health care for over 65s. | |
| United Future | Change the formulation of NZ Super by calculating it based upon the anticipated forecasted changes to the consumers price index and increases in the average wage for the following 12 months. The current formulation creates a lag that cheats over-65s of their full entitlement. Encourage pensioners to continue working at reduced hours as they still have value to the workforce. | |
| Act | Transition to new retirement system which will take 40 years when more than 90 per cent of New Zealanders are expected to have sufficient savings to provide for themselves. During the transition, retirees will receive two pensions, one based on the fund accumulated via tax savings and the second a percentage of the existing government benefit. Will pay at least current amounts, probably more. | |
| Progressive | Advocate as a priority a $200 winter energy rebate, press for the availability of interest-free loans against assets to enable repairs and maintenance to homes, continue with the current review of anomalies in pension entitlements in relation to overseas pensions. | |
