ChatGPT · No location
I have a mobility impairment, rent and want to keep living independently. I rely on accessible transport and support services. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties compare on disability support funding, eligibility and individual choice?
Comparing New Zealand parties on disability policy – 2026
For someone with a mobility impairment who rents and wants to remain independent, I would focus on four connected issues:
- Funding and support: Will you be able to obtain enough funding for personal assistance, household tasks, equipment, respite and other daily needs?
- Eligibility: Will assessments recognise your actual support needs, and will you retain access if your circumstances or the rules change?
- Choice and control: Can you decide who provides your support, when it happens and how your individual funding is used?
- Independent living: Will accessible transport, affordable accessible rental housing and community-based support enable you to live independently rather than rely on residential care?
There are important differences between the parties. One particularly important distinction is that supporting individualised funding is not necessarily the same as guaranteeing adequate funding or making eligibility easier.
The comparison below reflects policies and announcements available as at 2 November 2026, ahead of the general election on 7 November 2026.
1. Party-by-party comparison
The main parties covered are National, Labour, ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori and The Opportunities Party (TOP).
National Party
Approach: Financial sustainability, nationally consistent assessments and some restored flexibility.
- Funding: The Government reports more than $2.1 billion in additional Disability Support Services funding across successive Budgets. Budget 2025 also provided $240 million over four years for residential disability care.
- Eligibility: National has introduced nationally consistent needs assessments, intended to reduce regional differences in decisions.
- Individual choice: Following the 2024 controversy over flexible funding restrictions, some purchasing restrictions were removed. National says it supports choice and control within allocated budgets.
- Housing: No specific commitment to require accessible rental housing or a substantial increase in accessible homes has been identified.
- Transport: No specific new disability transport accessibility commitment has been identified. Its election transport proposals include public transport safety initiatives.
Important consideration: National's emphasis is on maintaining a financially sustainable support system and consistency. You would want to ask how it will ensure that consistent assessments do not result in people receiving insufficient support.
Sources: Election resourcesDisability Policies of New Zealand’s Political Parties – 2026
Labour Party
Approach: Rights-based disability support, Enabling Good Lives and legislative reform.
- Funding: Labour has committed to replacing the current Disability Support Services legislative framework with one developed alongside disabled people, carers and disability organisations. It has also committed to restoring pay equity legislation for care and support workers.
- Eligibility: Labour proposes ending annual benefit renewals for people with verified permanent disabilities.
- Individual choice: Labour supports Enabling Good Lives principles, including choice and control. It intends to repeal the current Disability Support Services Act and develop replacement legislation.
- Housing: At least 25% of new Kāinga Ora homes would have to meet accessible design standards. Labour also proposes stronger rental protections, including ending no-cause evictions.
- Transport: A proposed weekly public transport fare cap of $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and $10 elsewhere, beginning July 2027. This is a general fare policy, not a guarantee of accessible vehicles or services.
Important consideration: Labour has made specific commitments around permanent disability benefit reviews, accessible public housing and legislative reform. Its proposed replacement funding framework still needs further detail.
Sources: Election resourcesElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
ACT Party
Approach: Individual responsibility, direct individualised funding and reduced bureaucracy.
- Funding: ACT favours individualised, cash-like funding that gives people greater direct control over support budgets.
- Eligibility: ACT proposes independent medical certification against defined criteria for health and disability benefits, with reassessment of existing recipients. Its announced policy anticipates substantial savings from this approach.
- Individual choice: Supports direct funding and fewer administrative restrictions, but also tighter spending oversight.
- Housing: No specific accessible rental housing or disability housing policy has been identified.
- Transport: No specific disability-related transport accessibility programme has been identified.
Important consideration: ACT's position raises two distinct questions: how much freedom you would have to manage your funding, and whether you could continue qualifying for it under its proposed assessment and reassessment system.
Sources: Disability Policies of New Zealand’s Political Parties – 2026Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
Green Party
Approach: Disability rights, self-determination, accessible communities and Enabling Good Lives.
- Funding: Supports expanding individualised funding and removing barriers to disability support. It proposes accessible and timely financial assistance for disability-related living and medical costs.
- Eligibility: Supports a high-trust model intended to cover all disabled people, including those with disabling conditions who currently do not receive support.
- Individual choice: Strong emphasis on choice, control and self-determination, with less reliance on rigid deficit-based assessments.
- Housing: Supports substantially increasing accessible public housing, universal design standards for public and private housing, and stronger rental housing standards.
- Transport: Specifically proposes restoring the government subsidy for Total Mobility taxi services to 75% and increasing the number of mobility vehicles to meet demand. It also proposes free bus and train trips for Total Mobility users.
Important consideration: The Greens have made explicit commitments covering disability funding, transport assistance, housing accessibility and enforceable rights. You would want to examine the proposed implementation timetable, funding allocations and how the high-trust eligibility model would operate.
Sources: Election resourcesElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
New Zealand First
Approach: Practical support, public services, transport infrastructure and a general emphasis on individual needs.
- Funding: No comprehensive standalone disability funding policy has been identified.
- Eligibility: Its election scorecard responses support informed self-assessment and flexible, person-centred funding. It also supports reviewing benefit income-testing arrangements.
- Individual choice: Has explicitly stated support for choice, control and self-determination over disability services.
- Housing: No specific accessible rental housing programme has been identified.
- Transport: Its transport commitments focus on improving the national rail network rather than specific mobility accessibility measures.
Important consideration: NZ First has expressed support for flexible disability funding and accessibility measures, including enforceable accessibility standards. However, there is less detail about the amount of funding, specific eligibility rules and how services would be delivered.
Sources: Election resourcesElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
Te Pāti Māori
Approach: Māori-led disability services, self-determination and whānau-centred support.
- Funding: Proposes a Māori-led authority to design, oversee and deliver disability services for Māori.
- Eligibility: Proposes removing barriers across assessment, funding and service delivery.
- Individual choice: Emphasises tino rangatiratanga, with tāngata hauā and whānau hauā central to decisions about their support.
- Housing: Proposes accessible design for all new government-built housing, alongside more social housing and Māori housing investment.
- Transport: Supports embedding accessibility across transport and public services as part of its wider disability rights approach.
Important consideration: Its approach is particularly concerned with who controls disability services and how Māori disabled people and whānau participate in decisions. The technical details of funding allocations and implementation need further examination.
Sources: Election resourcesElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
The Opportunities Party (TOP)
Approach: Structural welfare reform, individual autonomy and accessible public services.
- Funding: Proposes a Citizen's Income of up to $370 per week for almost all adults, replacing most existing benefits, including Supported Living Allowance, with additional top-up support for disabled people.
- Eligibility: Its proposed Tell Us Once system would reduce repeated assessments and requests for the same information for people with long-term support needs.
- Individual choice: Supports disabled people making their own decisions, with appropriate assistance, and working with disability organisations on policy design.
- Housing: Supports accessible public housing, better rental standards and broader housing reform.
- Transport: Proposes free public transport for everyone.
Important consideration: TOP's proposed welfare restructuring could affect how you receive disability-related income support. The amount and eligibility rules for disability top-ups would be particularly important to investigate before assessing the practical impact.
Sources: Election resourcesElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
2. Side-by-side comparison
This table summarises the main differences rather than ranking the parties.
| Party | Funding and eligibility | Individual choice | Accessible transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | Existing system funding; consistent assessments | Flexible funding within budgets | No specific new disability commitment identified |
| Labour | New rights-based framework; fewer reviews for permanent disabilities | Enabling Good Lives principles | General fare cap |
| ACT | Individualised funding; independent medical reassessments | Direct funding and spending autonomy | No specific commitment identified |
| Greens | Expanded support; high-trust access model | Strong self-determination | 75% Total Mobility subsidy |
| NZ First | Flexible funding; self-assessment principles | Explicit support for choice and control | General rail improvements |
| Te Pāti Māori | Māori-led service funding and assessment reform | Māori self-determination | Broader accessibility commitments |
| TOP | Citizen's Income and disability top-ups | Supported decision-making | Free public transport |
Sources: CCS Disability Action's October 2026 policy analysis and Disability Responsiveness New Zealand's comparison. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisDisability Policies of New Zealand’s Political Parties – 2026Election resources
3. What matters particularly when you rent and want to live independently?
There are some important differences between general disability policy and the policies that could directly affect your day-to-day independence.
A. Accessible transport
If you rely on Total Mobility, taxis or accessible public transport, the details matter enormously.
The proposals worth examining are:
- Greens: Restore the Total Mobility government subsidy to 75%, increase mobility vehicle availability, and provide free public transport for Total Mobility users.
- Labour: Introduce a weekly public transport fare cap, but this does not specifically guarantee accessible transport.
- TOP: Make public transport free, although free fares alone do not guarantee accessible services.
- National, ACT and NZ First: Their identified commitments do not provide equivalent specific new disability transport subsidy proposals.
- Te Pāti Māori: Supports broader accessibility across transport, without a similarly detailed transport subsidy commitment identified.
One important question for all parties is whether there will be enough accessible vehicles, reliable wheelchair spaces, accessible bus stops and suitable services outside major centres.
B. Remaining in rental accommodation
Accessible housing is not simply about getting a roof over your head. It means being able to use your bathroom, kitchen, entrances and other facilities safely.
The specific commitments to examine include:
- Labour's proposal that 25% of new Kāinga Ora homes meet accessible design standards.
- The Greens' proposed universal design requirements for public and private housing.
- Te Pāti Māori's proposal for accessible government-built housing and stronger rental protections.
- TOP's support for accessible housing and improved rental standards.
Labour and Te Pāti Māori have also proposed stronger protections for tenants against eviction. Te Pāti Māori proposes universal rent control.
For a private renter, I would particularly investigate whether parties intend to help fund accessibility modifications, protect tenants against losing modified homes, and increase the availability of accessible rental properties.
Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
C. Disability support funding and eligibility
This is arguably the most important area to investigate beyond the headline promises.
Consider these questions:
- Will funding increase in line with the actual cost of support workers?
- Will people with permanent disabilities have to undergo repeated assessments?
- Will eligibility recognise fluctuating or progressive support needs?
- Will people be able to use individualised funding for the support that works best for them?
- Will funding be sufficient to employ support workers at appropriate times, including evenings and weekends?
- Will support remain available if someone lives alone rather than with family?
A particularly important distinction is between Disability Support Services eligibility and income-support eligibility. They are different systems. A party might make benefit assessments easier without necessarily expanding eligibility for personal assistance or other disability services.
4. An important resource: the 2026 Disability Election Scorecard
Published October 2026
CCS Disability Action, Disabled Persons Assembly NZ and Your Way | Kia Roha have produced a dedicated disability election scorecard.
It asks all seven parties the same ten questions, covering:
- Disability rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Repealing the Disability Support Services legislation.
- Individual choice and control.
- The financial penalty associated with having a partner.
- Disability allowances and cost of living.
- Employment and training support.
- Accessibility legislation.
- Abuse in care.
- Emergency preparedness.
The responses are presented as Yes, No, Undecided or no clear response, with additional party comments.
Importantly, this is a self-reported comparison, not an independent assessment of whether parties have delivered on their promises.
2026 Disability Election Scorecard
CCS Disability Action, DPA and Your Way | Kia Roha
- View the scorecard and accessible downloads
- Read the detailed party policy analysis
- Read the independent disability policy comparison
Election resourcesMedia release: Disability Election ScorecardDisability Policies of New Zealand’s Political Parties – 2026
5. Questions I would put to candidates before voting
These are practical questions that can help distinguish an attractive policy announcement from a commitment that would actually protect your independence.
| Issue | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Funding | Will you guarantee disability support funding keeps pace with the cost of delivering care? |
| Eligibility | Will people with permanent disabilities be protected from unnecessary reassessments? |
| Individual choice | Will I be able to choose my support workers and manage my own funding? |
| Personal assistance | Will support assessments consider my needs throughout the day, including evenings and weekends? |
| Transport | Will you guarantee affordable, reliable accessible transport and adequate Total Mobility funding? |
| Renting | Will you help renters obtain accessibility modifications without risking their tenancy? |
| Housing | Will you increase the supply of affordable accessible rental homes? |
| Independence | Will you protect the right to live in the community rather than being pushed towards residential care? |
6. My suggested way of evaluating the policies
Rather than looking only at which party promises the most funding, I would distinguish three things:
- Security: Can you depend on receiving the support you have been assessed as needing, without arbitrary reductions or unnecessary reassessments?
- Autonomy: Can you decide how, when and from whom you receive your support?
- Practical independence: Can you afford your home, get around your community and access the services you need?
A policy might support individualised funding but still leave you without enough money to employ the support workers you need. Likewise, free public transport is of limited practical value if the vehicles and stops are inaccessible.
Your ability to remain independent depends on all three areas working together.
One final consideration: The election is on Saturday 7 November 2026. You can also contact candidates directly and ask them to explain how their proposals would apply to someone who rents, has mobility-related support needs and wants to remain living independently.
The most useful next step would be to examine the actual funding and eligibility proposals in greater depth, particularly whether they protect existing support entitlements or could change access to individualised funding.
ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.
Captured 2 November 2026 · shown as ChatGPT gave it, not a verified account