2026 New Zealand election: healthcare, housing and independent living

Your concerns are important because, when NZ Super is your main income and you rent rather than own your home, two things matter enormously: whether you can afford essential healthcare as you get older, and whether you can remain securely housed without having to move repeatedly.

For the 2026 general election, I would look at party policies across four connected areas:

1. Affordable healthcare: GP fees, prescription costs, dental care and access to specialists.
2. Secure retirement housing: affordable rentals, rent increases, tenancy protections and access to suitable older-person housing.
3. Independent living: home support, personal care, mobility aids and help with household tasks.
4. Financial security: whether NZ Super and other assistance keep pace with the cost of living.

It is worth separating policies specifically for older people from policies that apply to all renters and patients. Both can make a significant difference to your circumstances.

1. Affordable healthcare: what parties are proposing

The biggest practical difference is between parties promising to reduce what patients pay directly and parties focusing on expanding medicines, staffing and healthcare capacity.

Party or political grouping	Relevant 2026 policy proposals
Labour	Three free GP visits a year through a Medicard; remove the $5 prescription charge; improve emergency department access and support older people recovering at home.
Greens	A broader commitment to strengthening public healthcare, including increased health funding and better access to essential services.
National-led Government parties	The approach described in the election policy comparison emphasises getting more from existing health funding, expanding subsidised medicines and increasing the work pharmacists and physician associates can undertake.
Other parties	Proposals include increasing Pharmac funding, improving rural healthcare, increasing GP pay and developing longer-term health strategies.

Sources: Labour's 2026 policy programme and Policy.nz health comparison. Labour's 2026 Election PoliciesPolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026

What this means for you

There are some particularly important questions to ask when comparing these proposals:

• Will you pay less for ordinary GP appointments?
• Will prescription charges be removed for everyone, including Superannuitants?
• Will you be able to get timely appointments without travelling long distances?
• Will public funding cover more of the medicines you need?
• Will access to home-based nursing and rehabilitation improve?

One distinction worth checking is that three free GP visits per year are not the same as free GP care throughout the year. If you need regular appointments, the remaining fees matter.

2. Housing security: particularly important if you rent

This is arguably the most important area to examine in your circumstances.

There are two separate problems:

• Rent affordability: Can your NZ Super keep up with rent increases?
• Housing security: Can you remain in your home, rather than being forced to move?

Here is how the main parties' proposals compare.

Party	Housing and rental proposals relevant to older renters
National	Dedicated funding for affordable seniors' housing, including reserving at least 20% of the Housing Flexible Fund for seniors' housing. More low-cost pensioner housing and easier granny-flat and tiny-home construction.
Labour	Ban no-cause evictions, provide longer notice periods, enforce the annual rent-increase limit and improve rental property standards.
Greens	Limit annual rent increases to 2%, build more accessible public housing and establish a state-owned, not-for-profit retirement village system.
NZ First	Develop a Seniors Housing Plan and provide more options for older people to age in place.
TOP (The Opportunities Party)	Replace the Accommodation Supplement with a universal housing payment and increase support for social housing.

Sources: Grey Power's 2026 comparison of older people's policies and National's retirement policy. How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersFixing the Basics and Building the Future: National’s plan for retirement

What the differences mean

National: Its proposal for dedicated affordable seniors' housing is worth examining. It is more specific about creating additional housing choices for older people. However, the granny-flat policies are more immediately relevant to people who have family or property arrangements that allow them to use them.

Labour: Its rental proposals address the risk of being forced to move. Labour proposes:

• No termination of periodic tenancies without a valid reason.
• 63 days' notice when a landlord or their family wants to move in.
• 90 days' notice for a sale, renovation or change of use.
• Better enforcement of rent-increase rules.
• Safer, warmer rental properties.

These proposals are particularly relevant if you want to stay in your current rental for as long as possible. Making Renting Better for Kiwis

Greens: Their proposed 2% annual rent-increase limit is a direct response to rent affordability. Their accessible public housing and not-for-profit retirement housing proposals also address the shortage of suitable homes for older people.

NZ First: Its proposed Seniors Housing Plan recognises that older people need housing choices that accommodate changing mobility and care needs.

TOP: Its proposed universal housing payment is worth investigating because it would change the way housing assistance is provided, rather than relying on the existing Accommodation Supplement.

One important point: Labour's proposal to limit increases to once every 12 months is not the same as a 2% rent cap. The current law already generally limits increases to once every 12 months. Neither approach necessarily prevents a substantial increase at the permitted time.

3. Support to keep living independently

This is about more than healthcare. It is about being able to remain in your own home, even if you eventually need some assistance.

That might include:

• Help with showering, dressing and personal care.
• Cleaning and household assistance.
• Nursing visits at home.
• Rehabilitation following illness or surgery.
• Dementia support.
• Help for family members who provide care.

The parties have some quite different approaches.

National

National's October 2026 seniors' announcement includes:

• A free 0800 Seniors helpline to help older people navigate government services.
• Additional affordable seniors' housing.
• Continued funding for targeted free prescriptions for seniors.
• More cataract, hip and knee operations.
• Additional funded medicines and longer repeat prescriptions.

National also says it will strengthen protections against elder abuse and financial exploitation. Fixing the Basics and Building the Future: National’s plan for retirement

Labour

Labour's proposals include:

• Three free GP appointments annually.
• Free prescriptions.
• More nurses and improved emergency department access.
• Support for older people recovering at home.
• Restoring pay equity for care and support workers.

The care workforce proposal matters because those workers provide personal care in people's own homes as well as in hospitals and residential facilities. Labour's 2026 Election PoliciesHow parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Greens

The Greens propose:

• Moving towards fully free public primary healthcare.
• Free dental care and removing prescription charges.
• Fully implementing the national Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan over five years.
• More community-based support and help for family carers.
• Restoring pay equity for care and support workers.

The last commitment is particularly concrete: the Greens have announced approximately $1.1 billion annually for a care-worker pay-equity settlement, subject to bargaining. How parties stand on issues affecting older New ZealandersGreens commit to pay equity for care workers

New Zealand First

NZ First identifies aged-care reform as a priority, with better coordination between primary healthcare, community services and aged care.

Its Seniors Housing Plan also includes more options for ageing in place. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

TOP

TOP proposes a 10-year cross-party health plan, with:

• Stable long-term healthcare funding.
• More investment in preventive and primary care.
• Stronger community-based services.
• More assistance for older people to remain living at home.
• Greater support for family carers.

This is an approach focused on continuity of care rather than short-term changes alone. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

4. What about NZ Super and financial security?

Because NZ Super is your main income, it is worth checking whether parties intend to preserve its value and eligibility rules.

Grey Power asked the major parties directly about retirement income.

Party	Position reported by Grey Power
National	Supports universal NZ Super and opposes means-testing, but had not confirmed the eligibility age of 65.
Labour	Committed to retaining eligibility at 65.
Greens	Committed to retaining eligibility at 65.
NZ First	Committed to retaining eligibility at 65 and maintaining NZ Super at 66% of the net average wage.
TOP	Committed to retaining eligibility at 65, with longer-term changes considered as part of its broader Citizens' Income approach.

All five parties responding to Grey Power supported universal NZ Super regardless of income or assets. ACT did not complete the questionnaire, and Te Pāti Māori did not respond. How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders

Other financial measures worth examining include:

• Accommodation Supplement eligibility and payment levels.
• Winter Energy Payment.
• Rates rebates, where applicable.
• Public transport concessions.
• Assistance with electricity and other essential household expenses.

For someone renting, the Accommodation Supplement deserves particular attention. It is important to know whether proposed changes would actually increase the assistance available to older renters.

5. A comparison based on your main concerns

Here is a way to organise the policies without assuming that any one party has all the answers.

Your concern	Policies to investigate particularly closely
Rent keeps increasing	Greens' proposed 2% rent cap; Labour's tenancy protections
Being forced to move	Labour's eviction protections; National's seniors' housing programme
Finding affordable accommodation later	National's pensioner housing; Greens' public and retirement housing; NZ First's Seniors Housing Plan
GP appointments are expensive	Labour's three free visits; Greens' free primary healthcare
Prescription costs	Labour and Greens' removal of prescription charges; National's targeted free prescriptions
Dental costs	Greens' proposed free dental care
Needing help at home	Greens' community care and dementia commitments; TOP's home-based care; NZ First's aged-care coordination
NZ Super security	Compare each party's eligibility-age and universal-payment commitments

6. Questions I would want answered before voting

I would encourage you to look beyond election headlines and ask parties these specific questions.

1. Rent: What will you do to stop older renters on NZ Super being priced out of their homes?
2. Housing: Will you increase the number of affordable, long-term rental homes specifically suitable for older people?
3. Healthcare: Will GP visits become free, and will prescription charges disappear for all older people?
4. Home support: Will older people who need help with cleaning, showering or daily activities receive adequate funded support?
5. Dementia and rehabilitation: Will people be able to access community-based care without having to enter residential care prematurely?
6. NZ Super: Will you maintain the eligibility age at 65 and protect its purchasing power?

A particularly important distinction is whether a party is promising to fund additional services or simply promising to improve the way existing services operate.

7. Where to check the policies yourself

These independent and official resources are useful:

• Policy.nz – 2026 election policy comparison. Compare parties on health, housing, incomes and seniors.
• Grey Power – How parties stand on issues affecting older New Zealanders. Particularly relevant to retirement concerns.
• Labour's full policy programme.
• National's 2026 election policies.
• Green Party policies and announcements.
• New Zealand First policies.
• The Opportunities Party policies.

The 2026 general election is scheduled for Saturday 7 November. Advance voting is already underway as at 1 November.

My final suggestion: look particularly closely at housing security

I would not assess these policies solely on how much they promise to increase NZ Super or reduce GP fees.

For a retired renter, there is another important question:

If your rent rises substantially next year, which party has a practical plan to help you remain securely housed?

A policy that provides cheaper doctor visits is valuable, but it doesn't solve the problem of having to leave a home you have lived in for years.

Likewise, building more affordable seniors' housing is helpful, but it matters whether you can actually access it, what the rent will be, and whether you can stay there long-term.

The combination of secure rental rights, affordable housing, accessible healthcare and properly funded home support is worth examining together.

I can also help you take this one step further by preparing a side-by-side comparison of National, Labour, the Greens, NZ First and TOP specifically for a retired person renting on NZ Super, examining which policies address immediate financial pressures and which offer longer-term security.