NZ political parties: NZ Super and retirement policy for the 2026 election

For someone who owns their home, is retired and relies mainly on NZ Super, there are several important distinctions to consider when comparing the parties:

1. Eligibility: At what age can you receive NZ Super, and what residency requirements apply?
2. Payment levels: Would NZ Super increase, remain linked to wages, or be changed in another way?
3. Retirement age: Would the qualifying age stay at 65 or gradually increase?
4. Cost of living: What would parties do about rates, home insurance, electricity and healthcare costs?

I'll distinguish between policies formally announced, existing government policy and proposals that have not yet been fully specified. This matters because the 2026 election is still ahead, and not every party has published a complete retirement policy.

1. Current party positions compared

The following reflects announcements and policy information available as at 30 October 2026.

Party	Retirement age position	Approach to NZ Super
National	Gradually increase from 65 to 67, starting in 2044	Retain universal Super; no means testing
ACT	Increase from 65 to 67 by 2035	Retain Super but raise qualifying age, with an exemption for some physically demanding occupations
Labour	Keep at 65	Retain universal, non-means-tested Super
Green Party	Keep at 65	Retain universal Super; focus on making payments sufficient
NZ First	Keep at 65	Opposes means testing and age increases; proposes citizenship restrictions
The Opportunities Party (TOP)	Proposes restructuring the system	Replace NZ Super with a Citizens' Income and additional support for superannuitants
Te Pāti Māori	Supports keeping the general age at 65 and earlier access for Māori	Has advocated earlier access for Māori, but detailed 2026 payment arrangements remain unclear

Sources: Grey Power's party questionnaire, Local Matters' September comparison and the October policy updates. How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersWhere the parties stand on New Zealand SuperElection 2026: What’s in it for seniors so far?Election Survey 2026 - National Council of Women of New ZealandACT New Zealand

2. What each party is proposing

National

• Proposes gradually lifting the eligibility age from 65 to 67, beginning in 2044.
• This would not affect people born before 1979.
• Supports universal NZ Super, rather than testing people's income or assets.
• Wants KiwiSaver to become compulsory for workers from July 2028, with employer and employee contributions gradually increasing to 6% each by 2032.
• Has committed to continuing employer KiwiSaver contributions for employees over 65.

National's October 2026 seniors policy also highlights:

• Expanded rates rebates for eligible SuperGold Card holders.
• Protection of the Winter Energy Payment.
• More affordable housing options for older people.

The rates rebate is particularly relevant to homeowners facing rising council rates. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperFixing the Basics and Building the Future: National’s plan for retirementElection 2026: What’s in it for seniors so far?

ACT

ACT has the most accelerated proposed increase in the qualifying age among the major parties.

• Increase the age to 67 by 2035.
• Allow compassionate early access for people who have spent much of their careers in physically demanding jobs.
• Remove tax on KiwiSaver investment earnings.
• Discontinue the government KiwiSaver contribution.

The proposed age increase is a significant difference from parties that want to retain 65. ACT New ZealandElection 2026: What’s in it for seniors so far?

Labour

Labour has made a clear commitment to:

• Keep NZ Super eligibility at 65.
• Retain universal eligibility, without means testing.
• Avoid changing the existing retirement age.

Its other retirement-related proposal is to increase compulsory employer KiwiSaver contributions to 6% by 2032, including for employees who are over 65.

Labour's broader 2026 healthcare policies include:

• Three free GP visits annually through its proposed Medicard.
• Removing the $5 prescription charge.
• A $20 weekly cap on public transport fares.

These healthcare proposals are relevant if regular medical appointments and prescription expenses are a significant part of your household budget. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperLabour's 2026 Election PoliciesElection Survey 2026 - National Council of Women of New Zealand

Green Party

The Greens support:

• Keeping NZ Super universal from age 65.
• Not increasing the qualifying age.
• Ensuring Super is sufficient to meet everyday living costs.

The party has also expressed interest in exploring individual rather than couple-based payment arrangements in the longer term.

Its wider policies for older people include:

• More affordable and accessible housing.
• A state-owned, not-for-profit retirement village scheme.
• Better community-based healthcare.
• Support for home insulation and solar energy.
• Removing prescription charges and moving towards free primary healthcare.

The Greens have not set out a new, fully specified 2026 dollar increase to NZ Super in the material reviewed. How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersWhere the parties stand on New Zealand SuperGreen Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

New Zealand First

NZ First has explicitly said it does not support:

• Raising the qualifying age to 67.
• Means-testing NZ Super.
• Reducing existing entitlement.

It supports maintaining NZ Super at 66% of the net average wage for a qualifying couple.

One important qualification: NZ First proposes restricting eligibility to New Zealand citizens from 2029. This is a proposed change to who qualifies, even though the party opposes other changes to eligibility.

It also proposes compulsory KiwiSaver and a $1,000 government contribution at birth. Winston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender”Election 2026: What’s in it for seniors so far?Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis

The Opportunities Party (TOP)

TOP proposes a more fundamental restructuring.

Its Tax Reset would replace NZ Super with a universal Citizens' Income, with an additional top-up for superannuitants to bring their total income into line with current NZ Super levels.

Its longer-term proposal allows the top-up to reduce according to income as people's KiwiSaver savings grow.

It also proposes:

• Compulsory KiwiSaver contributions.
• Employer and employee contributions gradually reaching 6% each.
• Broader changes to the tax system.

There is an important unanswered question: the published material does not clearly specify the qualifying age or all the transitional arrangements for existing retirees. It would be worth examining the detailed policy before assuming your existing income would remain unchanged. Tax ResetWhere the parties stand on New Zealand SuperHow would this affect me?

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori has previously advocated allowing Māori to receive superannuation seven to ten years earlier than other New Zealanders, referring to differences in life expectancy and health outcomes.

Its 2026 response to the National Council of Women also supports retaining the existing general eligibility age while lowering the age for Māori.

However, a complete 2026 NZ Super payment and implementation policy was not available in the material reviewed. Where the parties stand on New Zealand SuperElection Survey 2026 - National Council of Women of New ZealandHow would this affect me?

3. Would your NZ Super payment actually increase?

This is an important distinction: keeping the eligibility age at 65 does not necessarily mean increasing the amount paid.

Under the current system:

• NZ Super increases every 1 April in line with changes in the average wage.
• It is taxable income.
• It is not normally reduced because you own your home, have savings or receive investment income.
• Your after-tax payment depends on your living arrangements and tax code.

Current rates from 1 April 2026:

Living arrangement	Fortnightly after tax (M code)
Single, living alone	$1,110.30
Single, sharing accommodation	$1,024.90
Couple, both qualify	$854.08 each

These are current rates, not proposed future increases. How much you can get for NZ Super

The key differences between the parties are therefore:

• NZ First explicitly supports maintaining the couple's payment at 66% of the net average wage.
• Labour supports retaining the existing universal system.
• The Greens want Super to provide sufficient income for everyday living, but have not specified a new 2026 payment increase.
• National supports universal Super, with annual wage adjustments under the existing arrangements.
• ACT proposes a higher qualifying age, rather than a specific cut to the payment rate.
• TOP proposes changing the payment structure itself.

4. What about the cost of living for retired homeowners?

Although your main question concerns NZ Super, it is worth looking at the other policies that could affect your disposable income.

Grey Power's September 2026 comparison identified several relevant proposals:

Issue	Relevant party proposals
Council rates	National highlights expanded rates rebates
Electricity	Greens propose home insulation and solar support; Labour has proposed SolarSaver
Healthcare	Labour proposes free GP visits and prescriptions; Greens propose wider free primary healthcare
Housing	Greens propose not-for-profit retirement housing; National proposes more affordable seniors' housing
General living costs	TOP proposes interest-free rates deferral for older homeowners

How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersFixing the Basics and Building the Future: National’s plan for retirementLabour's 2026 Election Policies

One point worth remembering: rates deferral is not the same as rates reduction. It postpones payment rather than eliminating the expense.

5. Your existing NZ Super entitlement

Under the rules currently administered by Work and Income, the normal eligibility age is 65, subject to residency and other requirements.

The residency requirement is being phased up according to date of birth, reaching 20 years' residence from age 20 for people born on or after 1 July 1977. At least five of those years must be from age 50 onwards.

For someone already receiving NZ Super, the important distinction is that proposals to change the qualifying age generally concern future applicants, not an automatic cancellation of existing recipients' pensions. Who can get NZ SuperWhere the parties stand on New Zealand Super

6. Where to look before casting your vote

I would suggest checking these three areas in the parties' final election policies:

1. Protection of existing superannuitants: Whether your current entitlement and annual payment adjustments will be maintained.
2. Support for homeowners: Whether rates rebates, electricity assistance and home maintenance support will be expanded.
3. Healthcare affordability: Whether GP visits, prescriptions, specialist appointments and other regular healthcare expenses will become more affordable.

The election is scheduled for 7 November 2026, so check for any further policy announcements before voting.

Useful independent resources:

• Retirement Life – 2026 election policies affecting seniors
• Grey Power – How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders
• Policy.nz – Compare 2026 election policies
• Work and Income – NZ Super eligibility
• Work and Income – NZ Super payment rates

My overall summary of the policy differences

Without suggesting which party you should vote for, the central distinction is:

• National and ACT: Propose increasing the qualifying age, although at different speeds.
• Labour, Greens and NZ First: Support keeping the qualifying age at 65 and maintaining universal Super.
• TOP: Wants to replace the existing arrangement with a Citizens' Income and retirement top-up.
• Te Pāti Māori: Supports earlier access for Māori, but its detailed 2026 policy needs further clarification.

For someone already retired, the question of whether a party would change your existing payment is arguably just as important as its proposed retirement age.

I would pay particular attention to whether a party promises to maintain the annual wage-linked increases, because that affects your ability to keep up with rising household expenses over the years.

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