Is NZ Super actually unaffordable?

Calls to raise the retirement age or introduce means-testing for the pension are growing. But is there really a retirement crisis, or has the debate been driven by flawed assumptions and vested interests?

Since the days of the First Labour Government, a universal pension has been a cornerstone of New Zealand’s social security system, ensuring that everyone can live with dignity in old age, regardless of their fortunes in life.

But a growing chorus of voices is calling for change, arguing that, with an ageing population, we simply cannot afford universal superannuation any longer.

National's recent promise to make KiwiSaver compulsory for workers if re-elected has reignited the debate, with some suggesting this change opens the door to means-testing.

But is our superannuation system actually unaffordable? And if not, what's driving this sense of crisis?

In this episode of Public Interest, Ollie Neas speaks to economist Dr Bill Rosenberg about the case for and against raising the retirement age and means-testing, the role of the private retirement savings industry in shaping the debate, and why the biggest long-term threat to retirement security is something else entirely.

Watch the full conversation below and subscribe to Public Interest for more discussions making sense of politics and power in Aotearoa.