Seniors and kaumātua play vital roles in our whānau and communities. As we secure our recovery from COVID-19, we’re dedicated to helping them continue leading healthy, meaningful lives.
Here are just some of the many ways Labour is supporting seniors:
Keeping people warm over winter
We want to make sure everyone has a warm home without financial stress. We’ve introduced the Winter Energy Payment to help seniors weather the colder months, providing up to $700 for help with power bills over winter.
Cheaper GP visits
We’re ensuring more older Kiwis can get the care they need, when and where they need it. We’ve made doctors’ visits cheaper for more than 500,000 Community Services Card holders, lifting financial barriers to accessing primary healthcare.
Cracking down on cancer
We’re taking serious steps to improve cancer outcomes. We’ve increased Pharmac funding so more New Zealanders can access the medicines they need, funded new radiation machines so people don’t have to travel so far for treatment, and launched a new service in Auckland that will prevent some patients having to travel to Australia for radiotherapy. We’re rolling out the National Bowel Screening Programme to more regions, and we’re investing in improved breast and cervical cancer screening, to ensure more women are included.
Upgrading our health system
We’re rebuilding health facilities around the country to ensure they’re fit for purpose. Upgrades to hospitals and specialised units have started across the country – improving quality of care while also creating jobs. We’ve also announced major health reforms that will enable our health workers to do what they do best – keep people well. We’ve also established an Aged Care Commissioner to ensure that New Zealand’s aged care services don’t fall short of expectations.
Ensuring homes are healthier
We believe your house shouldn’t make you sick. Our new Healthy Homes Standards ensure rental properties are warm, dry, and healthy. On top of that, our Warmer Kiwi Homes programme offers grants for low-income households to help cover insulation and heating installation costs – helping keep more older people well.
Safeguarding superannuation
We want to give people confidence that superannuation will always be there when they need it. That’s why we resumed contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund and we’re keeping the age of eligibility at 65. We’ve also delivered a significant boost to Superannuation payments - $52 extra a fortnight for single people and $80 for couples.
Putting the gold in golden years
We upgraded the SuperGold Card, introducing a digital platform and app, and providing digital literacy training to make it easier to use. We’ve also ensured that retirement village residents are recognised as paying rates and entitled to apply for rebates.