New Zealand 2026 election: NZ Super, retirement income and aged care

Position as at 18 October 2026 · New Zealand-wide · General election: 7 November 2026

The main dividing lines between parties are whether New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) should remain available from age 65, how much people should be required to save privately for retirement, and how aged care should be funded and delivered.

The current proposals differ substantially: National and ACT want to increase the NZ Super eligibility age, while Labour and New Zealand First oppose raising it. National, New Zealand First and Opportunity also support more compulsory retirement saving, although their proposed contribution systems differ. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperRetirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026Winston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender”

1. NZ Super: who wants to change the eligibility age?

The current eligibility age is 65. These are the main parties' published positions.

Party	Position on NZ Super
National	Retain universal NZ Super, but gradually raise eligibility from 65 to 67, beginning in 2044.
Labour	Keep eligibility at 65 and oppose means-testing NZ Super.
ACT	Raise eligibility to 67 over an eight-year transition, with an exemption pathway for people who have spent at least 20 years in physically demanding work. Existing recipients would retain their entitlement.
New Zealand First	Oppose raising the age to 67 and oppose means-testing. Separately, it proposes restricting eligibility to New Zealand citizens from 2029.
Green Party	Focus on adequate incomes and dignity for older people. Its wider social-policy approach differs from the age-raising proposals; check the detailed manifesto for the applicable retirement settings.
Te Pāti Māori	Has emphasised earlier access to NZ Super for Māori, rather than simply adopting a higher retirement age.
The Opportunities Party (TOP)	Proposes reforming retirement saving through a compulsory KiwiSaver model; its full retirement-income settings should be checked alongside its savings proposal.

Sources: Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperPacific workers could be hardest hit as NZ parties debate raising the superannuation ageWinston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender”NZFirst Campaign Announcement: NZ Super for Citizens OnlyManifesto 2026Retirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

Important distinction: National's proposed increase would not start until 2044, whereas ACT proposes a faster transition. New Zealand First's citizenship proposal is a separate issue from the age of eligibility: it could affect some residents who otherwise qualify under current rules. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperNZFirst Campaign Announcement: NZ Super for Citizens Only

2. Retirement income and KiwiSaver

The parties differ on whether retirement income should rely primarily on universal state pension payments, individual savings, or a combination of both.

National — compulsory KiwiSaver

• Make KiwiSaver, or an equivalent scheme, compulsory for workers from 1 July 2028.
• Increase employee and employer default contribution rates progressively to 6% each by 2032.
• Automatically enrol newborns and provide a $1,500 starting contribution.
• Require employers to contribute for participating KiwiSaver members over 65 from July 2027.

Source: National's published KiwiSaver policy. Enhancing KiwiSaver for EveryoneNational to further boost Kiwis’ financial security

Labour — protect NZ Super and build savings

Labour opposes increasing the NZ Super age and means-testing it. On private savings, it supports compulsory employer contributions rising to 6% by 2032, including when workers pause their own contributions, rather than making employee contributions compulsory in the same way as National's plan.

Source: party positions and 2026 retirement-policy comparison. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperRetirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

ACT — later NZ Super, more individual choice

ACT proposes lifting the eligibility age to 67 while allowing access to KiwiSaver at 65. It opposes making KiwiSaver compulsory in National's proposed form, arguing people should retain more choice over whether to save or use their money for other priorities. Its October fiscal plan also proposes pausing contributions to the NZ Super Fund.

Sources: ACT sets out plan to raise retirement age, cut debt and spendingRetirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

New Zealand First — protect NZ Super, strengthen savings

NZ First opposes raising the pension age and means-testing. It proposes compulsory KiwiSaver, automatic enrolment at birth and a $1,000 Crown contribution for each newborn. It has also announced the citizenship restriction on NZ Super noted above.

Sources: Winston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender”NZFirst Campaign Announcement: NZ Super for Citizens OnlyRetirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

Greens — adequate income and dignity

The Greens emphasise decent incomes, equitable access to health services and support for seniors to live with dignity. Their 2026 manifesto sets out a broader social-support approach. A specific compulsory KiwiSaver contribution schedule was not identified in the retirement-policy comparison.

Sources: Manifesto 2026Retirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

TOP — compulsory retirement saving

TOP's proposed KiwiSaver 2.0 would be compulsory and universal, with employers and employees contributing a combined 12% of gross earnings. Its proposal restricts withdrawals for hardship or first-home purchases, making it a different savings model from the current KiwiSaver system.

Source: 2026 retirement-policy comparison. Retirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

The practical distinction is that NZ Super and KiwiSaver are separate. A party can support universal NZ Super while also requiring people to build up private savings. Compulsory contributions can increase retirement assets over time, but they also reduce the amount of take-home pay available during working life.

3. Aged care, home support and retirement villages

Aged care is a separate policy question from NZ Super. It covers funding for residential care, support for people who want to remain in their own homes, the pay and availability of care workers, and protection for people entering retirement villages.

Here are the clearest documented positions I found.

National

• Has announced a government action plan recognising unpaid and family carers, covering health and wellbeing, financial security, and recognition.
• Has proposed stronger retirement-village protections, including a maximum nine-month repayment period for outgoing residents and an initial payment of 10% of net termination proceeds within four weeks, subject to specified exemptions.
• Its stated approach combines support for older people with financial sustainability and the continued role of retirement villages.

Sources: New roadmap for supporting unpaid carersFaster and fairer retirement village repayments

Labour

Labour's published 2026 election programme includes wider healthcare commitments, such as three free GP visits annually and removing prescription charges from July 2027. These could matter to older people, but they are not the same as a dedicated aged-care funding plan. I could not verify a comprehensive, newly announced 2026 programme covering rest-home funding, home-care hours and aged-care workforce pay.

Source: Labour's 2026 Election PoliciesLabour's Cost of Living Plan

Green Party

• Has committed to restoring pay-equity law to its pre-2025 position and funding a settlement for approximately 65,000 care and support workers.
• The party has identified around $1.1 billion a year for the settlement, with the final amount to be agreed through bargaining with workers and unions.
• It has also called for long-term investment in aged care, including better in-home support and a system that delivers appropriate care in the right place.

Sources: Greens commit to pay equity for care workersNews - Seniors

New Zealand First

• Supports reform of retirement-village rules to protect residents while preserving the sector's ability to provide housing and care.
• Has committed to progressing a Retirement Villages Amendment Bill in the next parliamentary term.
• Opposes a blanket three-month repayment deadline, arguing that it could raise costs for future residents and put pressure on village operators.

Sources: Common sense must prevail for retirement village reformCommon sense must prevail for retirement village reform

ACT

ACT's published fiscal plan emphasises reducing government spending and debt. Its retirement-age policy includes an exemption pathway for people with long careers in physically demanding jobs. I could not verify a comparably detailed, standalone 2026 aged-care policy covering residential-care subsidies, home support and workforce pay.

Source: ACT sets out plan to raise retirement age, cut debt and spending

Te Pāti Māori

The party has previously advocated for Māori to receive NZ Super seven to ten years earlier than other New Zealanders, citing differences in life expectancy and health outcomes. I could not verify a formal 2026 aged-care package with detailed funding commitments, so the earlier-retirement proposal should not be mistaken for a complete aged-care policy.

Source: Where the parties stand on New Zealand Super

The Opportunities Party (TOP)

TOP's most clearly documented retirement proposal is its alternative retirement-income system, combining a Citizen's Income with a top-up intended to bring payments into line with current NZ Super rates. The top-up could reduce as KiwiSaver balances grow, with wealthier retirees expected to fund more of their own retirement. I could not verify a comparably detailed aged-care package.

Source: Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperRetirement Policy: Where NZ Parties Stand in 2026

4. What matters most when comparing the policies?

These are useful questions to ask of each party's proposals, particularly if the policies affect you or a family member.

Issue	What to look for
Retirement age	Will NZ Super still be available at 65, and when would any increase take effect?
Eligibility	Would residency, citizenship or other qualifying rules change?
Income in retirement	Would the policy change NZ Super, require higher KiwiSaver contributions, or both?
Home-based care	Are there commitments on the availability, cost and hours of home support?
Rest homes and residential care	Are there specific funding commitments for care facilities, staffing and access to places?
Care workers	Are wages, pay equity, recruitment and retention addressed?
Retirement villages	How quickly would residents receive their money when leaving, and what protections would they have?

One important limitation: a party's failure to announce a specific policy is not proof that it opposes that policy. In particular, the publicly documented commitments on retirement-village reform and care-worker pay are more specific than the available election commitments on residential aged-care funding.

Sources to follow before election day

• Policy.nz — 2026 election party policies
• National — KiwiSaver policy
• Green Party — 2026 manifesto
• New Zealand First — NZ Super eligibility proposal
• Local Matters — comparison of parties' NZ Super positions

In summary: the clearest divide on retirement is between parties that want to retain access to NZ Super at 65 and those proposing a higher eligibility age. The savings debate concerns how much responsibility should fall on individuals and employers through KiwiSaver. For aged care, compare specific commitments on home support, residential-care funding and care-worker pay rather than assuming that a party's position on NZ Super tells you its entire approach to older people's wellbeing.