As of 5 October 2026, the parties are actually quite divided on the future of NZ Super. The biggest distinction is between protecting the existing universal pension and shifting more retirement income onto compulsory private savings.

The 2026 election is on 7 November 2026. New Zealand Parliament dissolved ahead of tight November vote

At a glance

Party	NZ Super eligibility age	Means testing?	Retirement income / KiwiSaver	Aged care
National	65 for now; proposes eventual rise to 67	No	Compulsory KiwiSaver; 6% employer + 6% employee by 2032	More community/aged-care capacity; retirement-village reforms
Labour	65	No	Compulsory employer contributions, reaching 6% by 2032; more flexibility for workers	Major boost to care/support workforce pay; retirement-village reform
Greens	65	No	Keep universal NZ Super; broader redistribution/tax changes	Major expansion/reform of aged care and care-worker pay
ACT	67, phased in	Not central to proposal	Wants KiwiSaver accessible at 65 even if Super starts later	Less detailed standalone aged-care policy
NZ First	65	No	Compulsory KiwiSaver proposals, including higher contributions	Wants bipartisan aged-care reform
Te Pāti Māori	Has advocated much earlier eligibility for Māori	—	Opposed to National's higher compulsory KiwiSaver contribution approach	Māori-led, whānau-centred care
Opportunity (TOP)	Replaces current structure over time	More income/wealth-sensitive	Citizen's Income + compulsory KiwiSaver 2.0	Less prominent than retirement-income restructuring

There is an important caveat: National's position has evolved during 2026, and some details remain less explicit than those of Labour, ACT and NZ First. Grey Power's September survey found Labour, Greens, NZ First and TOP explicitly committing to retaining 65, while National supported universal Super but had not yet given the same explicit commitment at the time of its questionnaire. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders - Grey Power

1. National

NZ Super

National's current direction is not to means-test NZ Super, but it envisages eventually increasing the eligibility age.

The more recent policy reporting indicates 65 would be retained until 2044, followed by a gradual increase to 67, affecting younger cohorts rather than people already retired. Dentons in New Zealand - Employment Echo – August Edition

So this isn't an immediate "Super goes to 67" proposal. It is essentially:

• universal NZ Super;
• no asset/income test;
• 65 retained for a long transition period;
• eventually move toward 67.

Retirement income

National is making a much bigger push into compulsory private retirement saving.

Its June policy announcement says that from 1 July 2028 all workers would have to contribute to KiwiSaver or an equivalent scheme, with employer and employee contributions ultimately reaching 6% each by 2032. It also proposes extending employer contributions to workers over 65. National to further boost Kiwis’ financial security | National Party

National has also proposed a $1,500 KiwiSaver "Baby Boost" for newborns. Dentons in New Zealand - Employment Echo – August Edition

So National's model is increasingly a two-pillar system: universal public Super + substantially larger compulsory private retirement savings.

Aged care

National's approach is more incremental than the retirement-income changes. It points to increasing health capacity and making it easier to move elderly patients from hospital into aged care/community settings. National is delivering quality healthcare | National Party

It is also reforming retirement-village regulation. Its September policy reduces the maximum repayment period for residents leaving villages to nine months and requires 10% of net termination proceeds to be paid within four weeks. Faster and fairer retirement village repayments | National Party

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2. Labour

NZ Super

Labour is drawing a very clear line at 65.

It says it will not raise the NZ Super eligibility age and will not means-test it. This is one of the clearest differences from National and ACT. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super - Local Matters

Retirement income

Labour is also strengthening KiwiSaver, but without tying that explicitly to a later Super age.

Its 2026 policy would:

• make employer contributions compulsory from 1 July 2028;
• increase employer contributions to 6% by 2032;
• set the employee default at 4%;
• allow employees to reduce their own contributions without losing the employer contribution;
• contribute to KiwiSaver while parents are on paid parental leave;
• continue employer contributions for people working beyond 65. Strengthening KiwiSaver for the Future - NZ Labour

Thus Labour is not opposing greater retirement saving. The difference is that it wants to strengthen KiwiSaver while retaining NZ Super at 65, rather than using compulsory saving as part of a transition toward a later pension age.

Aged care

Labour has made a particularly concrete commitment around the aged-care workforce.

On 4 October it announced that it would restore pay-equity legislation and give about 65,000 care and support workers an immediate $4/hour increase from 1 January 2027. Release: Labour to restore pay equity, immediate pay rise for care and support workers

It also wants to regulate retirement-village repayments much more tightly: a Bill in its first 100 days would require departing residents to receive their money within three months, with an independent dispute-resolution service. Release: Labour to reform retirement village repayments

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3. Green Party

NZ Super

The Greens are firmly in the protect-and-retain camp:

• keep NZ Super at 65;
• retain its universal nature;
• no means testing.

That position is consistent with their 2026 responses and current public statements. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders - Grey Power

Their broader approach is to fund social services through substantially more progressive taxation rather than reducing the universal pension. Their 2026 manifesto proposes significant taxation of high wealth/income and says the proceeds would help fund public services. Manifesto 2026 - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

Retirement income

The Greens aren't proposing the National/ACT model of raising the pension age.

They favour maintaining universal NZ Super while dealing with retirement security through the wider welfare, tax and public-service system. Their 2026 manifesto specifically identifies seniors as a priority group requiring greater support and dignity. Manifesto 2026 - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

Aged care

This is one of the areas where the Greens have been particularly explicit.

They want a long-term redesign of aged care, including both:

• aged residential care; and
• in-home care.

Their stated objective is a system allowing people to receive "the right care, in the right place, at the right time", with greater dignity and autonomy for older people. Long-term investment in aged care can't wait - delaying it will only increase the cost - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

They have also just committed to restoring pay-equity legislation and setting aside approximately $1.1 billion annually toward settling the care-and-support workers' pay-equity claim. Greens commit to pay equity for care workers - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

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4. ACT

ACT has perhaps the clearest position on raising the pension age.

David Seymour said in September that ACT wants to consider increasing the NZ Super eligibility age by two months each year until it reaches 67. Existing retirees would not be affected. ACT New Zealand

Other reporting of ACT's proposal says people could continue accessing KiwiSaver from 65, even if NZ Super did not begin until 67; ACT has also discussed an exception for people with long histories of physically demanding work. Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super - Local Matters

That creates a significant philosophical difference:

ACT: retirement doesn't necessarily mean government pension at 65; people would increasingly bridge the gap with their own retirement savings.

ACT has been much less detailed than Labour, Greens or National on a standalone aged-care programme in 2026. It declined Grey Power's questionnaire because it did not have capacity to complete it. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders - Grey Power

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5. New Zealand First

NZ First is the strongest defender of the existing NZ Super settings among the major parties.

Winston Peters has explicitly said NZ First:

• does not support raising the age to 67;
• does not support means testing;
• does not believe NZ Super is unaffordable;
• supports retaining existing entitlement settings. Winston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender” - New Zealand First

There is, however, a significant new 2026 restriction.

NZ First now proposes that from 2029 only New Zealand citizens would be eligible for NZ Super. This targets people who migrate to New Zealand later in life rather than changing the basic pension entitlement for citizens. NZ Super for Citizens Only - New Zealand First

Retirement savings

NZ First also supports more compulsory retirement saving. Current reporting says it proposes compulsory KiwiSaver, including automatic enrolment at birth with a $1,000 Crown contribution for NZ citizens, and higher combined employee/employer contributions. Tax Tips: 2026 General Election - Tax Policy Update

Aged care

NZ First says it wants bipartisan agreement on aged-care reform. It secured a select-committee inquiry and ministerial advisory group on the issue, and says the ageing population requires a more systematic response. Winston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender” - New Zealand First

It is therefore relatively conservative on the pension itself, but acknowledges that aged-care funding and capacity are a separate long-term problem.

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6. Te Pāti Māori

This is the least straightforward comparison because Te Pāti Māori did not respond to Grey Power's 2026 policy questionnaire, so there isn't the same level of directly comparable party-by-party documentation. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders - Grey Power

Its position has nevertheless been distinctive on retirement age. It has advocated a substantially lower NZ Super eligibility age for Māori, roughly 7–10 years below the general age, on the basis of differences in life expectancy. Contemporary reporting puts the proposal in the vicinity of 55–58. What should we do about New Zealand’s soaring superannuation bill? | The Spinoff

On care, Te Pāti Māori's broader policy framework emphasises Māori-led, whānau-centred health and disability services that are culturally safe and accountable. Te Pāti Māori is the assertion of our mana motuhake and our liberation

It has also opposed National's proposed increase in compulsory KiwiSaver contributions, arguing that Māori are disproportionately represented among lower-income workers who have less capacity to save. KiwiSaver - Retail NZ

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7. Opportunity / TOP

TOP is proposing the most radical restructuring of retirement income.

Its Tax Reset would introduce:

• a universal Citizen's Income of up to $370/week ($19,400/year);
• a compulsory KiwiSaver 2.0;
• employer and employee contributions ultimately reaching 6% each;
• additional support for superannuitants so nobody currently relying on NZ Super receives less initially. Tax Reset - Opportunity Party

The important distinction is that TOP is proposing to replace the current architecture, rather than simply tweaking NZ Super.

Under its proposal, NZ Super would effectively become the Citizen's Income plus a top-up bringing the payment up to the current NZ Super level. In the longer term, that top-up could be reduced for wealthier retirees as KiwiSaver balances grow. Tax Reset - Opportunity Party

So TOP is considerably more open to retirement income becoming less dependent on an unconditional pension over the long term.

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The underlying debate

If you strip away the party branding, there are roughly three competing models:

A. Keep NZ Super broadly as it is

Labour, Greens, NZ First are the clearest examples.

• 65
• universal
• no means test
• improve retirement savings alongside it

NZ First goes further by restricting future eligibility to citizens.

B. Keep universal Super but gradually make private saving much more important

National sits here, with ACT further along the spectrum.

• compulsory KiwiSaver;
• much higher contributions;
• eventually later access to NZ Super for younger generations.

C. Fundamentally redesign retirement income

Opportunity/TOP is the clearest example.

• universal basic income;
• compulsory private retirement saving;
• progressively less reliance on the existing Super model.

Te Pāti Māori represents a fourth, more targeted approach: different retirement-age treatment based on Māori longevity, alongside Māori-led approaches to care.

The biggest practical differences for someone approaching retirement

If you're thinking about this from the perspective of an individual rather than party ideology, the questions that matter most are:

1. Are you already 65 or close to it?
   ACT/National's proposed changes are primarily relevant to younger cohorts; existing retirees aren't being targeted. ACT New Zealand

2. Do you expect to rely heavily on NZ Super rather than KiwiSaver?
   Labour, Greens and NZ First offer the clearest commitment to retaining the existing universal 65-based system.

3. Are you still working and contributing to KiwiSaver?
   National and Labour both want much greater employer contributions and continued contributions for people working past 65. National to further boost Kiwis’ financial security | National Party

4. Are you likely to need residential or home-based aged care?
   The parties' differences become less about the pension itself and more about workforce pay, home support, residential-care capacity, and who pays for the system.

5. Are you a recent migrant or considering retirement in NZ after migrating later in life?
   NZ First's proposed citizenship requirement is a particularly important difference from the other major parties. NZ Super for Citizens Only - New Zealand First

One important caveat: election policies are still being released and amended in October 2026. I've treated the positions above as the parties' current published/announced positions as of 5 October 2026, rather than relying on their 2023 manifestos or older policies. Grey Power's comparative survey is useful as a cross-check, but it predates some subsequent announcements. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders - Grey Power

If useful, I can next turn this into a detailed comparison specifically for someone aged 50, 60, 65 or 70, showing what each party's proposals would mean for NZ Super, KiwiSaver, retirement-village costs and aged-care costs.