# Supporting Older People to Live Well Longer — Cabinet Paper

**Author:** Office of the Minister for Seniors and Associate Minister of Health. **Publisher:** Ministry of Social Development. **Paper date:** 13 October 2025, per the release coversheet. **Public release listing:** 28 November 2025. **Original library access:** June 2026. **Source review:** 9 October 2026. **Length:** 9 PDF pages.

Sources: [official release page](https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/cabinet-papers/2025/supporting-older-people-to-live-well-longer.html), [coversheet](https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/cabinet-papers/2025/supporting-older-people-to-live-well-longer/coversheet.pdf), [original paper](https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/cabinet-papers/2025/supporting-older-people-to-live-well-longer/paper-supporting-older-people-to-live-well-longer.pdf).

## Purpose and priorities

This paper seeks Cabinet agreement to publish the second Better Later Life Action Plan, for **2025–2028**. It is the Cabinet proposal, not the complete action plan or service stocktake. Those appendices and decision minutes are separately linked on the official release page.

The proposed plan contains ten objectives across **health and care services, cost-of-living, and housing**. Objectives cover independence and social connection through driver licensing; digital skills; service navigation; abuse prevention; legal protections for people and assets; making money go further; older-worker employment; access to banking and cash; SuperGold benefits; and suitable housing.

The paper argues for a coordinated response across agencies and complements a separate health outcomes work programme considered in September 2025. Its intended benefits include prevention and easier access to support at home and in communities.

## Evidence and delivery limits

A stocktake and gaps analysis completed in **late 2024** informed the priorities. It identified growing and complex demand, fragmented services and referral pathways, difficulty locating assistance, and opportunities for prevention. This is a point-in-time policy input, not a current directory or a controlled evaluation showing which interventions worked.

Consulted agencies supported the plan, but MSD and the Ministry of Health noted that delivery scale would depend on resources and prioritisation. The released paper contains redacted financial advice; the coversheet identifies section 9(2)(f)(iv), concerning advice under active consideration. Complete funding cannot be inferred from the visible text.

The catalogue publication date follows the official **28 November 2025** release listing; the **13 October** paper date and PDF processing timestamp are separate. The original June 2026 access label is preserved.

Use the paper to understand the policy rationale and intended coordination. It does not prove implementation of every objective, create personal service entitlements or establish current benefit eligibility.

**Evidence locations:** PDF pages 1–4 (purpose, previous plan and stocktake), 5–7 (priorities and objectives), 8–9 (consultation, delivery limits and publication recommendation). The original PDF remains unchanged.