New Zealand 2026 election: healthcare and disability services

Your circumstances raise several important questions for the 2026 election: whether you can access healthcare when you need it, afford to live independently while renting, get reliable accessible transport, and receive disability support without having to fight for it.

For your situation, I would compare party policies across five areas:

1. Healthcare access: GP appointments, specialist treatment, hospital waiting times, prescription costs and dental care.
2. Disability support: Personal care, home support, equipment, assessments and funding.
3. Independent living: Support to remain in your own rental home rather than having to move into residential care.
4. Accessible transport: Public transport accessibility, Total Mobility, mobility parking and transport assistance.
5. Housing and financial security: Accessible rental housing, housing modifications, accommodation assistance and the additional costs associated with disability.

An important distinction is between a party's existing government record, policies it has formally announced for 2026, and general promises that have not yet been translated into funded commitments.

1. How the parties differ

The following comparison covers the main parties and TOP, using policies available as at 1 November 2026. The election is scheduled for 7 November 2026.

One useful independent source is CCS Disability Action. Its 30 October election analysis examines party commitments from a disability perspective, rather than looking only at general health or welfare promises. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisHow do the different parties fare on disability issues this election?

Disability support and independent living

Party	Main approach and commitments
National	Focuses on financial stability, consistent assessments and some restored flexibility in disability funding. Supports the Disability Strategy 2026–2030.
Labour	Promises to repeal and rewrite the Disability Support Services Act, working with disabled people, families and carers. Supports Enabling Good Lives principles.
Green Party	Supports greater choice and control over individualised funding, fewer bureaucratic barriers and a rights-based disability support system.
ACT	Emphasises individualised funding, personal choice and reducing bureaucracy. Supported the Disability Support Services Act.
New Zealand First	Has not published a detailed standalone disability support programme. Supported the Disability Support Services Act.
Te Pāti Māori	Emphasises self-determination, Māori-led disability services and the rights of tāngata hauā and whānau hauā.
The Opportunities Party (TOP)	Proposes wider income-support reform, including a citizen's income and a separate disability allowance.

Sources: Disability Policies of New Zealand’s Political Parties – 2026Party policies, simplified: Disability policyHow do the different parties fare on disability issues this election?

What does this mean for someone renting and living independently?

The important difference is not simply how much money a party promises to spend. It is how the party proposes to give you control over the support you receive.

For example:

• Individualised funding can give you greater control over arranging the assistance you need.
• Reliable personal-care and home-support funding can help you remain in your own home.
• Flexible support arrangements can matter if your needs change or you need assistance outside conventional working hours.
• Clear assessment and appeal processes can matter if your funding is reduced or your circumstances are misunderstood.

The parties differ in their approaches to funding, legislation and individual choice. These are particularly important issues to examine before deciding how much confidence to place in their promises.

2. Healthcare access

Here are some of the more concrete healthcare commitments.

Party	Healthcare approach
National	Focuses on general health-system performance, access to treatment and improving health services. Disability-specific healthcare commitments are less prominent in its election platform.
Labour	Promises three free GP visits annually through a Medicard, free prescriptions from July 2027, and other measures to reduce healthcare costs.
Green Party	Promises additional health funding, accessible public healthcare, prevention and earlier diagnosis, and support for disability-related medical costs.
ACT	Emphasises healthcare efficiency, performance and reducing administrative barriers.
New Zealand First	Focuses on prevention, metabolic health, primary care and reducing administrative burdens on GPs.
Te Pāti Māori	Emphasises Māori-led, holistic and culturally appropriate healthcare.
TOP	Includes healthcare access and reducing discrimination against disabled people within its wider reform approach.

Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisLabour's 2026 Election PoliciesHow do the different parties fare on disability issues this election?

Labour's specific healthcare commitments

Labour has announced:

• Three free GP visits per person per year.
• Removal of the $5 prescription charge from 1 July 2027.
• Free maternity scans.
• Free cervical screening for eligible people aged 25–69.

These are general population commitments, rather than disability-specific entitlements. Labour's 2026 Election Policies

Green Party's specific healthcare commitments

The Greens have proposed:

• An additional $3 billion in health funding.
• More accessible public health services.
• Greater emphasis on prevention, early screening and diagnosis.
• Income support that recognises disability-related medical and living costs, regardless of relationship status.

Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis

For your circumstances, I would pay particular attention to whether a party addresses the cost of GP visits, specialist appointments, prescriptions, allied health services and transport to medical appointments.

A policy that improves general hospital waiting times does not necessarily solve the practical difficulties of getting to appointments or receiving ongoing disability-related healthcare.

3. Accessible transport

This is an especially important area if you depend on taxis, mobility vehicles or public transport to maintain your independence.

There are three particularly relevant party proposals.

Green Party – Total Mobility

Promises to restore the government subsidy for Total Mobility to 75%, up from the 65% level reported in its election analysis, and increase the number of mobility vehicles available.

Labour – public transport costs

Promises a weekly public transport fare cap of $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 elsewhere, from 1 July 2027.

The Opportunities Party – free transport

Promises free public transport for everyone, alongside wider accessibility measures.

Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis

Other parties have different emphases:

• National: Its published disability-related transport commitments are limited. Its Auckland transport safety proposal is not specifically an accessibility policy.
• ACT: Has not identified a comparable disability-specific transport commitment.
• New Zealand First: Focuses on rail network improvements and regional connections.
• Te Pāti Māori: Supports embedding accessibility in public infrastructure and government buildings.

An important distinction: Cheaper or free public transport does not automatically mean accessible transport. You need to know whether buses and trains are physically accessible, whether stations have working lifts, whether mobility equipment can be accommodated, and whether services operate when you need them.

The Total Mobility subsidy is particularly worth examining because it directly affects the cost of accessible taxi travel.

4. Housing, renting and staying independent

For someone who rents, housing policy should be considered alongside disability policy.

You need to know whether you can remain in your home, whether it can accommodate your mobility needs, and whether you can afford it.

Party	Relevant housing commitments
National	General housing supply measures, including expanded granny-flat rules. No specific enforceable accessible-housing commitment identified.
Labour	At least 25% of new Kāinga Ora homes to meet accessible design standards; more social housing; stronger rental protections.
Greens	Universal design standards for public and private housing, more accessible public housing and stronger rental standards.
ACT	Focuses on increasing housing supply and reducing regulation; no specific accessible-housing standards identified.
NZ First	General housing supply and social housing policies, without a detailed disability-specific accessibility programme.
Te Pāti Māori	All new government builds to accommodate all whānau; increased social housing and investment in Māori housing.
TOP	Supports accessible public housing and wider housing reform.

Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisHow do the different parties fare on disability issues this election?Disability Policies of New Zealand’s Political Parties – 2026

Some particularly relevant distinctions:

• Labour's proposed accessible-housing target applies to new Kāinga Ora builds, not all private rental properties.
• The Greens' proposed universal design standards extend to public and private housing.
• Te Pāti Māori's commitment concerns government builds and its wider approach to housing accessibility.
• None of these proposals should be assumed to give you an automatic right to modify your current rental property.

I would also examine rental security, rent increases, accessibility modifications, warm and dry housing, and the availability of social housing for people with mobility impairments.

5. Disability legislation: an important election difference

A major issue in this election is the Disability Support Services Act 2026.

The legislation was passed in September 2026. Parties have taken different positions:

Party	Position
National	Supported the legislation and intends to continue its disability strategy.
ACT	Supported the legislation.
NZ First	Supported the legislation.
Labour	Promises to repeal and replace it, involving disabled people and their organisations in developing a new framework.
Greens	Opposed it and proposes stronger disability rights legislation.
Te Pāti Māori	Opposed it and supports Māori-led disability services and greater self-determination.
TOP	Has not provided a detailed position on the legislation.

Party policies, simplified: Disability policyHow do the different parties fare on disability issues this election?

This matters because disability support legislation influences how support is assessed, funded and delivered.

In particular, you may want to examine:

• Whether funding can be used flexibly.
• Whether you can choose your own support workers.
• Whether you can receive assistance that enables you to remain at home.
• Whether your support can be reviewed or reduced without adequate consultation.
• Whether there are independent complaint and appeal processes.

6. What I would look for when comparing party promises

Given your priorities, I would use the following questions to assess each party's actual commitments.

Your priority	Question to ask
Staying independent	Will I be able to continue living in my own home with adequate support?
Personal assistance	Will I have reliable funding for personal care and household assistance?
Accessible transport	Will I be able to afford taxis and access reliable mobility transport?
Healthcare	Will I be able to afford GP visits, prescriptions and specialist appointments?
Rental security	Will I be able to find and retain an accessible, warm rental home?
Disability funding	Will I have more control over how my support funding is spent?
Financial security	Will disability-related extra costs be recognised in income support?
Fair treatment	Will I have enforceable rights and independent ways to challenge decisions?

I would also distinguish between a commitment to introduce a policy and a commitment that specifies its funding, implementation date and eligibility requirements.

7. Where to check the policies yourself

These sources provide useful opportunities to examine the parties' positions directly.

• CCS Disability Action – 2026 election policy analysis. Particularly useful for healthcare, transport, housing and disability support.
• The D*List – simplified disability policy comparison. Includes responses from political parties on disability issues.
• Disability Responsiveness New Zealand – party policy report.
• Labour's official policy platform.

The CCS Disability Action analysis was published on 30 October, so it is particularly useful for checking the latest publicly announced commitments before election day. Parties may still update their policies. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisParty policies, simplified: Disability policy

My overall observation

There are some substantial differences between the parties:

• The Greens have specific proposals concerning Total Mobility subsidies, accessible housing, disability-related costs and enforceable accessibility standards.
• Labour has specific proposals concerning disability legislation, GP affordability, prescription charges, accessible Kāinga Ora housing and public transport fares.
• National emphasises funding stability, national consistency and its existing disability strategy.
• ACT emphasises individualised funding and reduced bureaucracy, alongside tighter medical reassessment requirements for some benefits.
• Te Pāti Māori emphasises Māori-led disability services and self-determination.
• TOP proposes broader income reform and free public transport.
• New Zealand First has fewer detailed disability-specific commitments, with greater emphasis on general health and transport policies.

These are differences in policy direction, not an assessment of which party will deliver the best outcomes.

One issue I would pay particular attention to is whether a party's policies allow you to remain living independently in a rental home, with sufficient personal support and affordable accessible transport. That is a more specific test than simply asking which party promises to improve disability services.

I can also prepare a more focused comparison of which parties have the clearest commitments on keeping disabled renters independent, including personal-care funding, Total Mobility, housing accessibility and financial assistance.