Means testing super is inevitable

NZ Superannuation makes up more than 50% of all welfare payments. (Image: Getty)

Mon, 06 Jan 2025

One thing I’m looking forward to in 2025 is more debate on the appropriateness and affordability, or not, of the New Zealand Superannuation scheme.The scheme could be affordable if society was prepared to fund it at the expense of other areas of government spending, pay higher taxes, or take on unsustainable debt levels. I expect voters will baulk at those realities. There is no free lunch. When you are in a fiscal hole and combine it with competing spending pressures (ie infrastructure and health) and mix it with huge cost pressure...

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