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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?
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
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
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. | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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'? |
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
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
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
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
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
So, for your circumstances, the most useful questions to put to each candidate are:
- Would my current benefit amount increase, decrease, or stay the same?
- Would I still have to attend work-preparation appointments if my doctor says I cannot work?
- Who decides whether I am medically capable of working — my GP/specialist, or an independent government-appointed doctor?
- How often could I be medically reassessed?
- Could my payment be sanctioned or suspended if illness prevents me attending an appointment or meeting an obligation?
- 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
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.
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Captured 5 October 2026 · shown as ChatGPT gave it, not a verified account