---
title: "Person unable to work because of long-term illness"
publisher: "Onsomble Limited"
publication: "NZBrands.ai"
edition: 1
collected_on: "2026-10-05"
html_url: "https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/voters/s09/"
---

# Person unable to work because of long-term illness

Edition 1 · answers collected 5 October 2026.

[Read on NZBrands.ai](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/voters/s09/)

I have a long-term health condition that limits my ability to work. I rely on income support and need regular medical appointments.

This is a designed voter situation, not a representative sample or a finding about everyone in that group.

## What they asked

### PF045 · Poverty and welfare

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?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Support level and eligibility affect basic security.

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

### PF046 · Healthcare

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 do parties compare on affordable GP care, specialist access and medicines for people with long-term conditions?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Regular treatment and medicine access are direct needs.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/098b293d-250e-46a2-af25-36f1d5e7a888.md)

### PF047 · Cost of living

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. What party policies would help people on a fixed benefit afford food, housing and power?

Study-assigned priority: Major. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: A limited income must cover essential costs.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/391326d1-546b-4d3e-a492-f7bfb7ca44bc.md)

### PF048 · Jobs and unemployment

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. What do parties propose about supported employment and flexible work for people with health conditions?

Study-assigned priority: Secondary. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Some suitable work may be possible if conditions improve.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/10cc9db9-a3fd-4d0c-9dbb-4819c2338bee.md)

### PF049 · Democratic institutions and rights

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. What do parties say about disability rights and fair treatment when dealing with government services?

Study-assigned priority: Secondary. This is a design assumption, not a measured preference. Reason: Service access and fair treatment are explicit concerns to test.

[Read the captured answers (Markdown)](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/questions/8e109cca-692b-4809-a3f5-aa7e37845a95.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 20 answers this voter received, 9 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 13 of 20.

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers collected |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 20 | 20 |
| Labour | 20 | 20 |
| Greens | 20 | 20 |
| ACT | 20 | 20 |
| NZ First | 15 | 20 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 13 | 20 |
| Opportunity | 8 | 20 |

## Issue by issue

## Poverty and welfare

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| NZ First | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |

## Healthcare

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 16 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 12 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 12 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 9 | 15 | 1 | 3 |
| NZ First | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 11 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Cost of living

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 14 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 15 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| NZ First | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |

## Jobs and unemployment

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 15 | 4 | 4 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 16 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 17 | 4 | 2 |
| NZ First | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 25.0% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

## Democratic institutions and rights

| Party | Answers naming party | Answers on issue | Share | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 16 | 3 | 1 |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 11 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Greens | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 2 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| NZ First | 3 | 4 | 75.0% | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 4 | 50.0% | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Opportunity | 4 | 4 | 100.0% | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |

## How the assistants handled this voter’s main question

For a person unable to work because of illness, an undifferentiated account of work obligations could be consequential. PF045 ChatGPT begins with payment adequacy, reassessment and sanctions, then distinguishes forms of current income support and medical circumstances before comparing proposals. That is a more relevant starting point than assuming the person is an ordinary work-ready jobseeker.

Gemini, AI Mode and AI Overviews place considerable emphasis on a broad divide between stricter compliance and greater adequacy. This makes the political contrast clear, but it can obscure exceptions, assessment pathways and differences among payments. AI Overviews' closing question about whether the person receives Jobseeker Support or Supported Living Payment recognises a distinction the prompt leaves open.

The precise current rules and proposed changes need administrative and party-source verification. The analysis here establishes what the answers emphasise and where they ask for missing information. It does not advise a reader about their own medical exemption or entitlement, nor infer how people with long-term illness should vote.

ChatGPT

> 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

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

Gemini

> 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.

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

Google AI Mode

> 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.

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

Google AI Overviews

> 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.

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

## Sources recorded against the answers

## ChatGPT

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 | 5 | 5 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| act.org.nz | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 5 |
| national.org.nz | 5 |
| nzfirst.nz | 5 |
| policy.nz | 5 |
| greens.org.nz | 4 |
| 1news.co.nz | 2 |
| maoriparty.org.nz | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| disabilitysupport.govt.nz | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 27 |
| Government | 6 |
| News | 5 |
| Comparison sites | 5 |
| Advocacy groups | 2 |
| Businesses | 1 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 0 |

## Gemini

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 | 5 | 0 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| drnz.co.nz | 3 |
| act.org.nz | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| nzvotecheck.com | 2 |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 1 |
| greens.org.nz | 1 |
| greypowermag.co.nz | 1 |
| national.org.nz | 1 |
| policy.nz | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 6 |
| Government | 0 |
| News | 0 |
| Comparison sites | 3 |
| Advocacy groups | 4 |
| Businesses | 3 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 0 |

## Google AI Mode

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 | 5 | 2 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| policy.nz | 3 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 2 |
| drnz.co.nz | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| nzdoctor.co.nz | 1 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 1 |
| Government | 0 |
| News | 4 |
| Comparison sites | 3 |
| Advocacy groups | 0 |
| Businesses | 1 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 0 |

## Google AI Overviews

| Answers collected | Answers with sources recorded | Answers showing a link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 | 5 | 0 |

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| greens.org.nz | 4 |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| national.org.nz | 4 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| rnz.co.nz | 2 |
| stories.theconversation.com | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |
| blog.fsc.org.nz | 1 |
| ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz | 1 |

Publisher counts sum recorded website/answer associations; one answer can contribute to several websites and publisher types.

| Publisher type | Recorded associations |
| --- | --- |
| Party websites | 12 |
| Government | 0 |
| News | 9 |
| Comparison sites | 3 |
| Advocacy groups | 3 |
| Businesses | 3 |
| Social media | 0 |
| Other | 1 |

## What this can and cannot tell you

One set of answers, from made-up voters, on one day.

Each question was asked once. AI assistants vary their answers, so a repeat run would differ in wording and detail. The location comparison shows that answers differed; proving that location caused the difference would need repeat runs and verified access locations.

The voters are designed situations, not a sample of New Zealanders. The study shows what the assistants said and lets anyone check it. It does not show whether anyone changed their vote, or why the assistants answered as they did.

We read all 32 voting-guidance answers and the case-study questions in full, and checked 17 statements. We have not read all 815 answers in full or checked every policy claim.

[Read the complete methodology](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/1/method.md)

## Publication and corrections

Published and funded by Onsomble Limited. NZBrands.ai takes no view on any party or policy.

[Independence](https://nzbrands.ai/about/independence/) · [Corrections](https://nzbrands.ai/about/corrections/) · [Contact](https://nzbrands.ai/about/contact/)