16th April 2026
Superannuitants, are among the New Zealanders who have received additional support from 1 April, as conflict in the Middle East continues to impact Kiwi wallets.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says: “The global fuel-price surge is hitting hard at home, causing a cost-of-living headache for many New Zealanders. While the Government can’t afford to ease all the pain, we are determined to keep progressing sensible, measured changes that provide some relief.”
As of 1 April, policy changes and annual adjustments increased financial support for more than a million New Zealanders. Benefits are adjusted based on the consumer price index (CPI), which lifted 3.11 percent last year. NZ Super and Veteran’s Pension rates are adjusted based on changes in net average wages and the CPI.
Around 960,000 Kiwis receiving NZ Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension now receive increased payments. NZ Superannuation for a married couple who both qualify has lifted more than $50 to $1,708 a fortnight and from $1076 for a single person living alone per fortnight to $1110.30.
Eldernet is New Zealand’s most trusted online directory and information hub designed for older people and their whānau.
Esther Perriam, director at Eldernet says more older New Zealanders are renting, which puts pressure on a system not built to cover those costs. “We need to consider that New Zealand, as a country, set up superannuation in the 1930s. We have always taken care of those who were unable to take care of themselves.”
“When NZ Super started, it was designed for people who own their homes. NZ Super doesn’t cover rent. There’s not enough money for rent and food, because there’s an assumption that you live in, effectively, free accommodation.”
Perriam says New Zealand has a long history of supporting those who cannot support themselves. “Before NZ Super, there were things like the widow’s benefit,” she says. “We’ve always, as a society, believed in taking care of people who can’t take care of themselves.”
She says that principle should remain central as the system evolves, but acknowledges that change is likely. “I think it’s inevitable that we’ll see some form of means testing or income testing at some point,” she says. “There may also be changes to the age of eligibility, particularly for people in non-manual work.”
However, she says any changes need to reflect the realities of different types of work and life expectancy. “Not all work is equal, and not everyone can work longer,” she says. “We also have to consider that Māori and Pacific people, on average, have lower life expectancy, so they have less time to benefit from the system.”
Perriam says these are complex questions that go beyond simple policy fixes. “The rental situation for older people and the home ownership rates are something that also needs to be definitely factored into the equation because we’re just not the society that we were back then.”
“Certainly, as we age, there are times when we won’t be able to take care of ourselves. So, we do need to have a national conversation about how we do that.”
“The Government is acutely conscious that the conflict in the Middle East is causing pain for Kiwis at the pump, and is leading to increased costs for businesses, goods and services across our economy. We have been upfront in acknowledging that the fall-out from these global events is likely to drive New Zealand’s inflation rate higher and our growth rate lower than previously forecast,” says Nicola Willis.
“We know that responding with large, untargeted government spending programmes could make things worse for Kiwis by adding even more pressure to inflation and debt. We are making careful choices in order to protect New Zealand’s economic future.”
