---
title: "PF045 · Captured AI answers"
publisher: "Onsomble Limited"
publication: "NZBrands.ai"
edition: 1
collected_on: "2026-10-05"
html_url: "https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/9848363a-8b49-4e5d-88ec-42dcd509ed02/"
---

# PF045 · Captured AI answers

Edition 1 · answers collected 5 October 2026.

[Read on NZBrands.ai](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/9848363a-8b49-4e5d-88ec-42dcd509ed02/)

## Question

I have a long-term health condition that limits my ability to work. I rely on income support and need regular medical appointments. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How would parties change income support and work obligations for people who cannot work because of illness?

Question ID: 9848363a-8b49-4e5d-88ec-42dcd509ed02. Report reference: PF045.

Issue: Poverty and welfare. Voter: Person unable to work because of long-term illness.

[Source record (JSON)](https://nzbrands.ai/data/nz-election-2026/editions/1/answers/9848363a-8b49-4e5d-88ec-42dcd509ed02.json)

## How to read this evidence

The answers below are shown as the assistants gave them, not a verified account or NZBrands.ai voting advice. They may contain errors or outdated claims. A recorded source association is not necessarily a link shown to the reader.

Captured 5 October 2026. 4 answers were saved for this question. Missing answers have not been filled in.

[Study methodology and limitations](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/method.md)

## ChatGPT · asked nationally

Answer ID: bd0efa9e-a3e5-486c-80f2-e25b2a66a38e. Captured 5 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

For the **7 November 2026 New Zealand general election**, the biggest differences for someone who cannot work because of illness are around **how much income support is provided, how often your capacity is reassessed, and whether benefit receipt carries work/preparation obligations or sanctions**. [New Zealand Parliament dissolved ahead of tight November vote](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-parliament-dissolved-ahead-tight-november-vote-2026-10-01/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

One important baseline: under the current system, **Jobseeker Support** can cover people who cannot work because of a health condition, injury or disability. If you cannot work or can work fewer than 15 hours a week, you generally have *work-preparation* rather than job-search obligations; Supported Living Payment also has preparation/assessment obligations in some circumstances. Medical information is periodically reviewed. [Jobseeker Support | Work and Income](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/jobseeker-support?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### What the parties are proposing

| Party | Income support / benefit level | Work & medical obligations |
|---|---|---|
| **National** | National's 2026 published platform does **not announce a major new disability-income package**. Its approach is to maintain a targeted welfare system and encourage people who can work into employment. [National Party - Fixing the Basics. Building the future.](https://www.national.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) | The current system's tighter compliance regime would remain relevant: benefit obligations can lead to reductions/stoppages, and the Government has introduced mandatory reviews and other compliance measures. National has not announced a general exemption from these for people with long-term illness. [New sanctions drive benefit accountability | National Party](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250526-hon-louise-upston-sanctions-drive-benefit-accountability?utm_source=chatgpt.com) |
| **ACT** | No broad increase in benefit rates is proposed. ACT instead wants health/disability benefits assessed under clearer criteria. | **The most significant proposed change to medical assessment:** all health/disability benefits would be medically certified by an MSD-approved pool of designated doctors, rather than leaving major decisions primarily with the person's usual clinician. Existing Jobseeker Health Condition/Disability and Supported Living Payment recipients would be reassessed over time, although ACT says enduring conditions could receive long-term arrangements. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/act-announces-policy-to-make-benefits-a-hand-up-not-a-way-of-life?utm_source=chatgpt.com) |
| **Labour** | Labour's 2026 manifesto does **not currently set out a major new benefit-rate package specifically for people unable to work**. It does propose substantially cheaper healthcare: three free GP visits annually and free prescriptions from July 2027. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com) | Labour has promised to **repeal the Government's Disability Support Services Bill** and replace it with legislation developed with disabled people, arguing that the existing Bill gives the Minister excessive power over disability support. Its published election platform doesn't specify a wholesale replacement of the current Jobseeker work-obligation system. [Release: Labour will scrap harmful disability Bill](https://www.labour.org.nz/news/release-labour-will-scrap-harmful-disability-bill/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) |
| **Green Party** | The Greens propose a much broader increase in support: **liveable benefit rates**, individualised entitlements and accessible income support for disabled and sick people. Their disability policy specifically promises income support covering disability-related living and medical costs, regardless of relationship status or cause of disability. [Income - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026_income) | The Greens propose **abolishing benefit sanctions** and moving Work and Income to a high-trust model. They also propose expanding ACC so that income support and treatment cover illness and disability as well as injury, regardless of cause. [Income - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026_income) |
| **Te Pāti Māori** | Its 2026 programme emphasises higher incomes and Māori-led, whānau-centred health/disability services. Its current published material includes improving support for Māori with disabilities, but I could not find a similarly detailed general replacement for Jobseeker/Supported Living Payment as the Greens have proposed. [Te Pāti Māori is the assertion of our mana motuhake and our liberation](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) | Its emphasis is on culturally appropriate, Māori-led disability support rather than a detailed new national work-obligation regime. |
| **NZ First** | I could not find a 2026 policy announcing a major change to income support specifically for people unable to work because of illness. Its published welfare changes are particularly significant for **non-citizens**, including a proposed 10-year stand-down from benefits for visa holders. [Winston Peters - "Cool Heads, Rational Judgement" - New Zealand First](https://www.nzfirst.nz/winston_peters_cool_heads_rational_judgement?utm_source=chatgpt.com) | No major new illness-related work-obligation regime was identified in its current published policies. |
| **Opportunity Party (TOP)** | This is a fundamentally different model: a **Citizen's Income of up to $19,400/year ($370/week)** for almost all adults, replacing most existing benefits, with supplementary support for some groups. [Tax Reset - Opportunity Party](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/tax-reset?utm_source=chatgpt.com) | It would largely remove the existing benefit-conditionality system: the party describes the payment as requiring no WINZ appointments or relationship-status checks. However, because it replaces existing benefits, the exact treatment of someone whose illness creates substantial extra costs is important to examine. [What are the Opportunity party's land tax and 'citizen's income'?](https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/15/what-are-the-opportunity-partys-land-tax-and-citizens-income/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) |

### What this could mean specifically for someone who cannot work

**If medical reassessment is your biggest concern:** ACT's proposal is the clearest departure. It would make independent designated-doctor assessment mandatory and reassess existing health-related beneficiaries, although ACT says people with genuinely enduring conditions could receive long-term arrangements. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/act-announces-policy-to-make-benefits-a-hand-up-not-a-way-of-life?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

**If benefit sanctions and compliance requirements are your biggest concern:** the Greens are the clearest departure in the opposite direction. Their policy explicitly says they would abolish benefit sanctions and establish a high-trust Work and Income model. [Income - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026_income)

**If the adequacy of your income is the biggest concern:** the Greens propose increasing benefits to "liveable rates" and specifically guaranteeing accessible income support for disabled and sick people. TOP proposes a universal $19,400 Citizen's Income, but that would replace most existing benefits rather than simply adding money to the current Supported Living Payment system. [Income - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026_income)

**If medical appointments and treatment costs are a major part of your budget:** Labour's three free GP visits per year and removal of the $5 prescription charge from July 2027 are directly relevant. The Greens also propose broader healthcare access, while their proposed ACC expansion would cover treatment and income support for illness and disability regardless of origin. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### One particularly important distinction

Don't assume that **"can't work" means "no obligations" under today's system**. Someone assessed as unable to work may still have work-preparation requirements, Work Ability Assessments, or appointments with contracted providers, and failure to meet an obligation without good reason can reduce or stop a benefit. Supported Living Payment recipients can also be asked for updated medical information. [Jobseeker Support obligations | Work and Income](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/on-a-benefit/obligations/obligations-for-getting-jobseeker-support.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

So, for your circumstances, the most useful questions to put to each candidate are:

1. **Would my current benefit amount increase, decrease, or stay the same?**
2. **Would I still have to attend work-preparation appointments if my doctor says I cannot work?**
3. **Who decides whether I am medically capable of working — my GP/specialist, or an independent government-appointed doctor?**
4. **How often could I be medically reassessed?**
5. **Could my payment be sanctioned or suspended if illness prevents me attending an appointment or meeting an obligation?**
6. **Would disability-related medical and living costs receive additional support?**

Those questions expose differences that aren't always obvious from parties' general election slogans. The parties' published policies are also still subject to legislation and coalition negotiations after the election, so a party's proposal should not be treated as a guaranteed future entitlement. [No land tax or 'citizens' income' in Opportunity's bottom lines](https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/29/no-land-tax-or-citizens-income-in-opportunitys-bottom-lines/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

If useful, I can also make you a **side-by-side comparison specifically for a person receiving Supported Living Payment**, including **benefit amount, medical certificates/reassessments, sanctions, partner income, extra disability costs, and healthcare costs** for each party.

**End captured answer**

## Gemini · asked nationally

Answer ID: c36c9e81-f5a7-4d55-a667-823ef2333ecd. Captured 5 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

How political parties approach income support and work obligations for people who cannot work due to illness is a key point of difference in New Zealand politics. Parties generally fall into two broad camps: those focused on tightening work obligations, independent medical assessments, and welfare controls; and those focused on increasing benefit adequacy, reducing administrative hurdles, and investing in public health.

---

### Centre-Right and Right-Leaning Parties (National, ACT, NZ First)
Parties in this bloc generally emphasise fiscal responsibility, reducing long-term benefit dependency, and strengthening compliance or work-preparation requirements for those who can transition into employment.

*   **ACT Party:** Proposes significant changes to health-related benefits (such as Jobseeker Support - Health Condition or Disability, and the Supported Living Payment). Their policies include requiring medical certificates for these benefits to be issued independently by an MSD-approved pool of designated doctors (rather than solely relying on a person's regular GP), alongside phased reassessments starting with mental health-related grants. They also advocate for strict welfare management tools (such as cashless debit cards blocking certain expenditures for long-term recipients, while allowing carve-outs for necessities).
*   **National Party:** Focuses heavily on active management, sanction frameworks, and moving people into work where capacity allows. While they accommodate genuine long-term illness, their broader welfare policy places strong expectations on beneficiaries to engage with employment services and meet regular obligations, backed by sanctions for non-compliance.
*   **New Zealand First:** Generally supports tighter eligibility criteria for benefits and prioritising support for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, alongside tax relief measures (such as tax-free thresholds) to assist low- and middle-income households.

---

### Centre-Left and Left-Leaning Parties (Labour, Green Party, Te Pāti Māori)
Parties in this bloc tend to focus on adequacy of financial support, reducing punitive work expectations for those dealing with ill health, and removing administrative barriers.

*   **New Zealand Labour Party:** Generally opposes strict, punitive welfare sanctions for those with health conditions or disabilities. Their policy platform typically emphasises strengthening the welfare safety net, protecting benefit indexation, and reducing the cost of living (such as through free primary healthcare access, which directly benefits people with regular medical appointment needs). 
*   **Green Party:** Advocates for substantial increases to core benefit levels to lift people above the poverty line, alongside the potential overhaul or replacement of cumbersome work-test obligations with individualized, supportive frameworks. They strongly support free, universal healthcare (including mental health, dental, and GP visits) to address the root causes of illness.
*   **Te Pāti Māori:** Focuses on welfare transformation rooted in Whānau Ora principles, advocating for the removal of sanctions, higher benefit floors, and systemic changes that recognize the compounding impacts of poverty, racism, and chronic health issues.

---

### Practical Considerations for Voters
When evaluating these options for the election, consider how different policies impact your daily life:
1.  **Medical Evidence and GP Access:** Proposals to change how medical certificates are issued (e.g., independent assessors vs. your own GP) directly affect how smoothly you can renew your support.
2.  **Work Obligations and Sanctions:** Parties differ on whether welfare should involve strict work-preparation requirements and potential benefit reductions for non-compliance, or a supportive, un-penalised safety net.
3.  **Cost-of-Living & Health Support:** Broader policies on free GP visits, prescription charges, and public transport caps can significantly ease the financial strain of managing frequent medical appointments.

Would you like more specific details on how a particular party’s welfare or health policies compare to your current situation?

**End captured answer**

## Google AI Mode · asked nationally

Answer ID: 3bcc7ddf-7ce8-4c8f-9e94-076b05a6d90f. Captured 5 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

**New Zealand political parties offer contrasting approaches to income support, medical costs, and work obligations for people with long-term health conditions, split broadly between tightening work expectations and enforcement on the right versus increasing benefit adequacy and reducing medical costs on the left****.**

Parties on the Left (e.g., Labour, Green, Te Pāti Māori)

Parties on the left generally focus on raising benefit levels, reducing or eliminating the cost of medical care, and easing punitive work obligations for those dealing with sickness or disability.

 * * **Labour Party:** Proposes direct cost-of-living relief through healthcare policies, including their proposed **Medicard** scheme which would provide three free General Practitioner (GP) visits, alongside free prescriptions and maternity scans. They generally oppose strict or punitive work obligation sanctions for those medically certified as unable to work.

 * **Green Party / Te Pāti Māori:** Advocate for raising core benefit levels significantly above the standard baseline to match the actual cost of living (informed by welfare expert recommendations). They push to remove work-test obligations and sanctions entirely for disabled people and those with chronic health conditions, emphasizing a support-first rather than compliance-first welfare model through [Work and Income](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz).

 *

Parties on the Right / Center-Right (e.g., National, ACT, New Zealand First)

Parties on the right generally emphasize fiscal restraint, active management of welfare rolls, and stronger work-test obligations or re-assessment structures, while balancing targeted health funding.

 * * **National Party & ACT Party:** Focus heavily on mutual obligations, regular work-capability re-assessments, and expanding sanctions or traffic-light compliance systems for beneficiaries. They argue that active work-coaching and tighter engagement help transition people into suitable or modified work where possible, though exemptions remain for those with severe, certified long-term incapacity.

 * **New Zealand First:** Tends to support targeted assistance for seniors and those with verified permanent disabilities or medical exemptions, while prioritizing fiscal discipline and auditing of benefit eligibility to prevent system strain.

 *

If you would like, I can provide more details on:

 * * Specific **health cost policies** (such as GP visit subsidies) from individual party manifestos

 * Current **Work and Income medical exemption** rules and how they operate right now

**End captured answer**

## Google AI Overviews · asked nationally

Answer ID: 2373aba1-8643-4b28-adb5-b7871b5076a3. Captured 5 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

For the **2026 New Zealand general election** , political parties hold contrasting views on how to manage income support and work obligations for individuals experiencing long-term health conditions or illnesses.

The political landscape is broadly divided into the governing Coalition (National and ACT), which emphasizes **stricter compliance, medical reviews, and pathways to work** , and the Opposition (Labour and the Greens), which focus on **increasing financial support and lowering healthcare costs**.

* * *

🔵 The Coalition Parties (National & ACT)

The current coalition focus centers on reducing welfare dependency and ensuring that those receiving health-related benefits face regular checks and work readiness assessments where applicable.

 * **ACT New Zealand:** ACT explicitly campaigns to **tighten medical certification** for health-related benefits. They advocate for independent or secondary medical reviews to ensure people on health-related benefits are genuinely incapable of working, aiming to prevent long-term benefit dependency.

 * **National Party:** National supports a **work-first approach** , using sanctions and strict obligation management for job seekers. While they maintain the Supported Living Payment for those permanently unable to work, they have introduced tighter monitoring, regional work coaches, and clearer expectations for individuals on Jobseeker Support with health conditions or medical deferrals to prepare for or find part-time employment if a doctor deems them capable.

🔴 The Opposition Parties (Labour & Green)

The opposition parties focus on relieving the financial and administrative stress on individuals dealing with chronic illnesses.

 * **New Zealand Labour Party:** Labour focuses heavily on reducing the daily cost of living for those with chronic health issues. Their platform highlights **free doctor's visits and free prescriptions**. Rather than increasing work enforcement on sick beneficiaries, Labour proposes strengthening public healthcare infrastructure so individuals can manage long-term conditions without incurring heavy personal debt.

 * **Green Party of Aotearoa NZ:** The Greens advocate for a complete overhaul of the welfare system to guarantee **liveable incomes** for disabled and sick individuals. They strictly oppose benefit sanctions and want to **ban automated or AI-driven decision-making** that could suspend or reduce welfare payments. They also promise to eliminate aggressive medical re-testing for people with permanent or long-term conditions.

* * *

Direct Policy Comparison

Party| Stance on Income Support| Work Obligations & Medical Reviews| Healthcare Subsidies for Patients
---|---|---|---
**ACT**| Focuses on reducing overall welfare spending.| **Tighten medical certification** and increase independent reviews.| Prefers targeted, needs-based support.
**National**| Maintains existing brackets but indexes strictly.| **Increases work obligations** and sanctions for non-compliance.| Focuses on broader health system targets.
**Labour**| Focuses on cost-of-living relief for beneficiaries.| **Opposes harsh sanctions** and reduces bureaucratic hurdles.| **Free GP visits and free prescriptions**.
**Green Party**| Promises **universal liveable incomes** funded by wealth taxes.| **Abolishes all sanctions** and bans automated payment cuts.| Universal dental care and accessible healthcare.

If you want to look deeper into specific aspects of these plans, please let me know:

 * Are you currently receiving **Jobseeker Support (with a medical deferral)** or the **Supported Living Payment**?

 * Would you like to know more about how each party plans to change **welfare sanction rules**?

 * Are you interested in specific **healthcare funding models** for chronic illness management?

**End captured answer**

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