10. DARREN HUGHES (Labour—Otaki) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What progress is being made towards removing asset testing for New Zealanders who need long-term residential care?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
On 1 July the Labour-led Government will invest $14.3 million to continue the phase-out of income and asset testing for aged residential care. This is on top of our initial investment of $93 million last year. Some thresholds will rise to $160,000, up from as low as $15,000 this time last year.
Can the Minister tell the House why the Labour-led Government has committed to the phasing out of asset testing for residential care?
This policy is about fairness. Older New Zealanders who have built up assets throughout their lives should not be unduly penalised when they need to go into residential care. National’s changes to asset testing in the 1990s were so harsh that people in rest homes could not afford to pay for their own funerals. Labour thinks older New Zealanders deserve better than that.