Superannuation poll

Press, 22 October 1986, Page 4

Superannuation poll

Most New Zealanders want to change national superannuation in one way or another. Only 30 per cent'believe it should stay as it is, according to a “New Zealand Herald”-National Research Bureau survey released today. • Almost a quarter of respondents want to raise the starting age from the present level of 60. Seven per cent favour a start at 62 and 16 per cent a start at 65. Reduced payments for people still working are favoured by 38 per cent, and for those with investment or other non-salary income by 15 per cent. Ten per cent want to see some other form of change. Perhaps strangely, in the light of much recent publicity, only 3 per cent took the opportunity under this heading to mention elimination of the tax surcharge on the other income of some superannuitants. Apart from raising the starting age to 65, the responses in the latest poll show little difference from those in a poll of March, 1982. However, because of alterations related to superannuation, the votes for “no change at all” in 1982 and 1986 refer to partly different situations. Raising the starting age to 62 or 65 finds considerable support (40 per cent) from people aged 55 and over. Women are noticeably more likely than men to favour reducing the pay-

The columns add up to more than 100 because of multiple responses. The figures are subject to a maximum statistical sampling error of plus or minus two per cent. The 10 per cent who would like to see some form of change not mentioned on the list of options made the following main suggestions: . • Eliminate the tax surcharge (three per cent of the total responses).

ment for those still in paid employment. Support for such a measure increases with the age of the respondent. Although supporters of both main parties would choose as their first option a reduction of payments to those still working, Labour Party supporters tend to favour such reductions according to the financial and earning status of the recipient, whereas National Party supporters lean more towards an agedependent reduction. The results come from a survey of 1000 men and 1000 women aged 16 and over selected by random probability methods from the 20 main population centres. Interviews were conducted face-to-face from September 20 to 24. People were asked: “Which of the following changes, if any, shown on this card do you think should be made to the national superannuation scheme?” The choices on the card were: (1) Raise starting age to 62 years. (2) Raise starting age to 65 years. (3) Reduce the payment if the superannuitant is still in employment. (4) Reduce the payment if the superannuitant is receiving investment or other non-salary income. (5) No change at all. (6) Some other change (please say). The responses by sex, age, voting inclination and area, with a comparison of the over-all totals in 1986 and 1982, were:

• Apply a means test (two per cent). • Lower the qualifying age below 60 (two per cent). • Make superannuation the individual’s responsibility (one per cent). • Increase the benefit (one per cent). Copyright, 1986—“ New Zealand Herald” Tomorrow: How people see the goods and tax.

Current Total Mar Sep Sex 25Age 55voting inclination UnTop Area Bot •82 ’86 M F 24 34 44 54 -1Lab Nat com NI NI SI % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Reduce payment if working 40 38 34 43 31 38 40 41 43 43 36 35 38 40 38 Raise starting age to 65 yrs 9 Reduce if receiving investment 16 16 16 8 11 13 14 30 14 21 15 18 17 11 or other non-salary income 12 15 15 16 17 18 15 12 14 20 11 13 16 17 14 Raise starting age to 62 yrs 7 7 7 8 6 7 6 8 10 6 9 8 9 7 6 Some other change* — 10 12 7 4 14 10 9 11 11 8 12 11 9 8 No change at all 32 30 32 27 38 26 30 31 24 26 31 31 28 29 33 Don’t know •This was not an answer 8 5 option in 4 6 11 March ’82. 6 5 3 2 6 3 5 6 6 4