NZ Super and the 2026 election: what each party proposed (NOT LAW)

Nothing about NZ Super has changed because of the election. Under current law it is paid from age 65, to people who meet the residence rule, with no income or asset test. At the 2026 election, parties put forward different plans: two would raise the age to 67, one would limit NZ Super to citizens, and one would replace it with a Citizen's Income. All of these are proposals, NOT LAW. As at 12 November 2026, only preliminary results have been released, official results are due on 27 November 2026, and no government or coalition agreement has been announced. This guide sets out each party's position, in alphabetical order, and shows how to try the main proposals in our calculator. Rules checked 12 November 2026.

Current law

Before any proposal, the baseline. Under current law:

• NZ Super is paid from 65. You can apply up to 12 weeks before your birthday.
• You must meet the residence rule: a set number of years in New Zealand since age 20, including 5 since age 50. That number is phasing up from 10 to 20 years by date of birth, for people turning 65 from 1 July 2024. Our NZ Super eligibility guide has the table.
• There is no income or asset test for the person getting it.
• From 1 April 2026 a couple who both qualify get $854.08 a week together after tax at M, and a single person living alone $555.15. Rates rise each 1 April with prices, with a floor linked to wages. Our NZ Super rates guide explains the adjustment.

Where the election stands

As at 12 November 2026:

• Only preliminary results are available. Special votes are still being counted.
• The Electoral Commission expects to declare the official results on 27 November 2026. Seats can change between preliminary and official results.
• No government has been formed and no coalition agreement has been published. Formal negotiations are expected after the official results.
• No party has announced a change to its NZ Super position since election night.

So any change to NZ Super would first need a government to agree on it, then a law to pass through Parliament. We will update this guide when that happens.

Party proposals, in alphabetical order (NOT LAW)

Some positions come from party sources, others from news reporting; the sources list below says which. National's Christopher Luxon said in June 2026, "We are big believers in universal superannuation."

What age 67 could mean for you (NOT LAW)

Neither age 67 proposal has a published timetable by birth date, so our calculator uses a simple assumption: the age rises evenly, in whole months, by the year you would turn 65. For ACT, that runs for people turning 65 from 2027 to 2035; for National's reported plan, from 2044 to 2052. Under those assumptions:

The real timetable, if either became law, could differ.

Worked example

Our example couple are both 55, with $250,000 in KiwiSaver between them and $50,000 of other savings, retiring at 65 and planning to 95. Under current law their retirement pay is about $1,052 a week after tax, in 9 of 10 simulated markets. With the ACT toggle on, they would wait until 67 for NZ Super and fund two extra years from savings: their pay falls to about $1,000 a week, $52 less for life. National's reported plan would not affect them, because they turn 65 before 2044.

A couple aged 40 with the same savings and salaries would have about $1,146 a week under current law. National's reported plan takes that to about $1,096 and ACT's to about $1,089. The retiring before 65 guide covers the same bridge problem: years when you have stopped work but NZ Super has not started.

Citizens only (NOT LAW)

NZ First's proposal would make NZ Super available only to New Zealand citizens. Current law requires residence, not citizenship. NZ First has not said how people already receiving NZ Super who are not citizens would be treated, so our calculator applies the rule from 2029 to anyone you mark as not a citizen.

The effect can be large. If one partner in our example couple were not a citizen, the household would get NZ Super for only one person: $427.04 a week rather than $854.08. Their retirement pay would fall from about $1,052 to about $625 a week, and on their planned spending their savings would last to 95 in only 3% of markets. If both are citizens, nothing changes.

If this affects you, the most useful thing is to know your options. Citizenship has its own rules and processes, set by the Department of Internal Affairs.

KiwiSaver and the gap years (NOT LAW)

If the NZ Super age rose to 67 but KiwiSaver access stayed at 65, as ACT has said it would, KiwiSaver would become the natural bridge for the two years in between. In our calculator, a 67 toggle does exactly that: KiwiSaver still opens at 65, and the plan draws harder on savings until NZ Super starts. That is why the cost to our example couple is about $52 a week for life rather than the full value of two years of NZ Super.

For people with little or no KiwiSaver, the gap would be harder to fill. Working longer, part time or full time, is the other common answer; our working after 65 guide covers the tax side. None of this applies under current law, and it would only matter if a law were passed.

How to try the proposals in our calculator

1. Open the retirement calculator and enter your plan under current law first. Note your retirement pay.
2. Open the section "Election proposals (NOT LAW)". It is off by default.
3. Under "NZ Super age", choose "67 by 2035 (ACT proposal, NOT LAW)" or "67 from 2044 (National, reported, NOT LAW)".
4. For the citizens only proposal, tick "NZ Super for citizens only (NZ First proposal, from 2029)" and untick "I am a New Zealand citizen" (or your partner's box) if that applies.
5. Compare the result with your current law figure. The NZ Super calculator also shows the date you would start under each proposal.

The Green and Labour positions keep current law, so there is nothing to switch. Opportunity's Citizen's Income and Te Pāti Māori's 2024 call are not modelled, because neither has enough detail for a fair calculation.

Whatever happens, a plan that works under current law with some room to spare is the best protection. For KiwiSaver proposals from the same election, see our sister site, kiwisavercalculator.co.nz. This is general information, not financial advice, and nothing here is a prediction of what any government will do.

Questions

Has the NZ Super age changed?

No. NZ Super is still paid from 65 under current law. Proposals to raise it to 67 are NOT LAW, and no government had been formed as at 12 November 2026.

When are the official 2026 election results?

The Electoral Commission expects to declare them on 27 November 2026. Until then the results are preliminary.

Will NZ Super be limited to citizens?

That is an NZ First proposal, NOT LAW. Under current law you need to meet the residence rule; citizenship is not required.

How would age 67 affect my retirement?

It depends on when you turn 65 and the timetable, if any is passed. For our example couple aged 55, ACT's proposal would lower their pay for life from about $1,052 to $1,000 a week. Try your own plan with the calculator's toggles.