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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. What do parties propose about supported employment and flexible work for people with health conditions?
New Zealand 2026 election: supported employment and flexible work
For your situation, there are three connected policy questions worth looking at: whether you can work within your health limits, whether you can keep enough income support if you do work, and whether you can attend regular medical appointments without risking your job or financial security.
The 2026 New Zealand general election is scheduled for 7 November. Parties' disability policies are not all equally detailed, and some are still being published. A useful starting point is to separate explicit election commitments from broader party positions and existing government programmes. The main parties vying to form New Zealand's next governmentDisability Policies of NZ Political Parties
1. What the main parties propose
The comparison below draws on a disability-policy review prepared for the 2026 election, party policy pages and an October 2026 statement from the Opportunity Party. Where a party has not published a specific employment commitment, I have noted that rather than assuming it would introduce one. Disability Policies of NZ Political PartiesOpportunity Disability Position Statement - October 2026Manifesto 2026Labour's 2026 Election Policies
Green Party
Income security, rights and removing barriers
The Greens support higher income support, moving towards a Guaranteed Minimum Income, reforming partner-income testing and expanding individualised disability support. Their employment approach emphasises removing structural and workplace barriers, fair pay and supported employment pathways.
Relevance to you: Their stated direction addresses both financial security and the barriers that can prevent people with health conditions from maintaining employment. Check the detail of any proposed benefit changes and how they would work in practice. Disability Policies of NZ Political PartiesManifesto 2026
Labour Party
Disability rights and redesigning support services
Labour has pledged to repeal the Government's proposed disability support legislation and develop replacement legislation with disabled people and disability organisations. Its 2026 programme also includes three free GP visits per year and removing prescription charges from July 2027.
Relevance to you: Co-designed disability support and lower healthcare costs could matter if you rely on regular appointments. However, the published material reviewed here does not establish a specific new guarantee of flexible hours, medical appointment leave or protection of benefit payments when working reduced hours. Disability Policies of NZ Political PartiesLabour's 2026 Election PoliciesLabour's Cost of Living Plan
Labour's 2026 election policies
National Party
Service stability and national consistency
National's approach has focused on funding disability support services, making assessments more consistent across the country, and restoring some flexibility in disability support funding. The review found no specific disability employment package in its published platform at the time of assessment.
Relevance to you: The flexibility of disability support funding may affect access to practical assistance, but it should not be confused with a promise of flexible employment arrangements or more generous income-support rules. Disability Policies of NZ Political Parties
ACT New Zealand
Individual choice, funding accountability and work participation
ACT's broader approach favours individualised disability funding, less bureaucracy and stronger accountability for public spending. Its welfare policy emphasises employment participation and tighter benefit obligations. The review found no detailed standalone disability manifesto.
Relevance to you: Individualised funding and simpler administration are relevant to support choices, but it is important to establish how any proposed work obligations would apply to people whose health limits their capacity or makes it fluctuate. Disability Policies of NZ Political Parties
New Zealand First
General public services, with limited disability-specific detail
The review found no standalone disability policy or specific programme for employment support for disabled working-age people. Its broader approach emphasises state-funded services and general health provision.
Relevance to you: Seek clarification on whether the party would change supported employment, benefit eligibility or the ability to work part-time without losing essential support. Disability Policies of NZ Political Parties
Te Pāti Māori
Self-determination and Māori-led support
Its disability approach centres tāngata whaikaha Māori, whānau hauā, tino rangatiratanga and Māori-led services. The review describes a strong overall vision but less technical detail on specific employment mechanisms.
Relevance to you: The key questions are how its approach would translate into practical employment support, income security and flexible working arrangements for people with ongoing health conditions. Disability Policies of NZ Political Parties
The Opportunity Party (TOP)
Working without losing support
TOP's October 2026 disability position statement explicitly says it wants to explore ways to let disabled people work without unfair cuts to income support. It also proposes a Citizen's Income and Disability Allowance, ending rules that allow disabled workers to be paid below the minimum wage, and better support for employers hiring and retaining disabled staff.
Relevance to you: These are direct proposals addressing the financial risk of trying to work while receiving support. The exact income thresholds, interaction between payments and eligibility rules need to be checked in the detailed policy. Opportunity Disability Position Statement - October 2026Opportunity Disability Position Statement - October 2026
TOP's October 2026 disability position statement
Important distinction: A party supporting flexible disability funding is not necessarily promising flexible work. Similarly, a promise to help people into employment does not automatically mean you could reduce your hours, take time off for treatment or retain your existing level of income support.
2. What to look for specifically in flexible work policies
For someone who needs regular medical appointments and cannot necessarily work full-time, these are the policy details that could make a practical difference.
| Policy question | What to check in each party's proposal |
|---|---|
| Flexible hours | Can you work shorter days, part-time hours or a variable schedule? |
| Medical appointments | Would you have predictable access to paid or unpaid time off for treatment? |
| Fluctuating health | Can you temporarily reduce your hours or take a break during a flare-up without losing your job? |
| Income support | How much can you earn before your benefit or other assistance is reduced? |
| Supported employment | Is there funding for job coaches, workplace adjustments, equipment and ongoing employer support? |
| Employer incentives | Would employers receive practical assistance to recruit and retain workers with long-term health conditions? |
These are questions to put to candidates directly, because a general commitment to employment does not answer all six.
3. Support that exists already
You do not necessarily need to wait for the election to explore employment assistance. Work and Income currently offers an Employment Service for eligible people with disabilities or health conditions, including people whose condition affects their ability to find work.
The service can help with:
- Finding a suitable job and planning a return to work.
- Negotiating flexible working arrangements with an employer.
- Discussing workplace support and adjustments.
- Providing ongoing assistance to you and your employer for up to one year.
Eligibility includes having a condition expected to last at least six months, being ready to work, and meeting the service's other criteria. You do not have to be receiving a benefit to use this service. Employment service for people with a disability or health conditionEmployment service for people with a disability or health condition
See Work and Income's Employment Service.
4. A useful independent election resource
The Disabled Persons Assembly, CCS Disability Action and Your Way Kia Roha have asked seven major parties questions on disability rights, income support and Job and Training Support Funds. Their planned election scorecard is particularly relevant because it asks whether parties would widen eligibility and increase funding for employment-related support. The scorecard responses had not yet been published on the page I checked. Disability Scorecard for 2026 General Election » Disabled Persons Assembly NZ
You can follow the updates at Disabled Persons Assembly NZ — 2026 Election Scorecard.
5. How to compare the proposals for your circumstances
Based on the published material reviewed, the most useful distinction is between policies addressing income security while working and policies addressing the practical support needed to stay employed.
- For income security, examine TOP's proposed Citizen's Income and Disability Allowance, the Greens' proposed income-support reforms, and the other parties' positions on benefit abatement and eligibility.
- For workplace support, look for explicit commitments on job coaching, flexible hours, reasonable adjustments, and support for employers.
- For medical needs, check healthcare affordability proposals separately from workplace leave entitlements. A policy making GP visits cheaper does not itself guarantee time off to attend them.
Before deciding, check the final policies and their implementation details: several parties have not published a comprehensive disability-specific employment plan.
One question that would help me make the comparison more relevant is: Are you mainly concerned about finding a suitable part-time job, keeping income support if you work some hours, or protecting the flexibility you need for medical appointments? You can choose more than one.
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Captured 16 October 2026 · shown as ChatGPT gave it, not a verified account