The Years Ahead series: Breaking down the retirement squeeze facing Hawke’s Bay seniors

Grey Power Hastings secretary-treasurer Roberta Budvietas says rising financial pressures are the biggest issue facing Hawke's Bay seniors. Photo / Rafaella Melo

How should life look after retirement?

For a growing number of Hawke’s Bay residents, life after 65 could still stretch another three decades. Those years can bring freedom, new hobbies, and fresh opportunities, but they can also come with financial pressures, loneliness and unexpected challenges.

In a new series called ‘The Years Ahead’, Rafaella Melo explores what life for the silver generation really looks like through the eyes of Hawke’s Bay seniors.

The series begins with the issue many say sits at the heart of countless others: financial pressures.

A $20 annual membership might not sound like much.

But Grey Power Hastings secretary-treasurer Roberta Budvietas says some older residents have to wait until their next pension payment before they can afford even that.

“When $20 a year is more than they can afford to pay, you can pretty much bet your bottom dollar that they’re managing their money very tightly,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today.

Roberta, 77, said concerns about affordability were a recurring topic at Grey Power’s monthly meetings.

A bill delayed until pension day, dental work that cannot wait, or groceries put back because something else came first.

The issue was not only something Roberta had seen through Grey Power.

She and her husband, Peter, 84, were feeling the pressure themselves.

Before filling the car, she now considers whether to stop at $50 or fill the tank. Trips across to Napier are weighed against the petrol cost.

Movies, cafe visits and restaurant meals have almost disappeared from their routine.

“The last time I went out for a nice meal, it was because my son paid for it.”

Grey Power Hastings secretary-treasurer Roberta Budvietas says many retirees, including herself, are having to carefully budget to keep up with rising living costs. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Roberta recently began earning about $500 a month doing bookkeeping and human resources work for her son’s business.

“The only reason he’s paying me now is because the pension isn’t enough,” she said.

After more than four decades in business, she felt she was fortunate to still have skills she could use to supplement her pension.

Roberta was one of more than 34,000 people receiving New Zealand Superannuation in Hawke’s Bay as of June 2026, according to Ministry of Social Development figures.

That was up from about 33,000 a year earlier.

She claimed many of those were taking physically demanding jobs to make ends meet, despite limited mobility or poor health.

“It’s not easy to stand for hours when you’ve got arthritis in your legs, but you’ve got no choice,” she said.

Roberta said housing, food, power, insurance and council rates were among the greatest pressures facing Grey Power members.

Renters were particularly affected, while some car owners were dropping comprehensive insurance for third-party cover. Others had no insurance at all.

Losing access to a car could further shrink an older person’s world, she said, leaving them unable to attend meetings, visit shops or remain socially connected.

But some of the hardest costs to absorb were the unavoidable ones.

“Dentures cost you anything up to $5000. Hearing aids cost you $5000,” she said.

“You want to put some money aside because you know you’re going to need dentures or things like that.”

She questioned rules that can require people to use savings before qualifying for additional assistance, saying retirees were also trying to prepare for medical expenses and funerals without burdening their children.

“Minimum funeral expenses are $4500 now, and you don’t want to put that on your kids, if your kids are even talking to you,” Roberta said.

Current Work and Income rules set cash-asset limits for the Accommodation Supplement at $8100 for a single person and $16,200 for a couple.

Roberta said that was not enough.

“Sixteen thousand dollars is nothing,” she said.

“One of the things we’re constantly asking the Government is to up the limits of savings before you can qualify for things like accommodation support or extra benefits, and we’ve been asking that for the last 20 years.”

She said debt with Work and Income was another concern, with some older people borrowing money to cover essential expenses and then having to repay it from their pension.

The Ministry of Social Development said income and asset thresholds are reviewed annually, while NZ Super rates increase each year in line with inflation or wage growth, whichever is higher.

Group general manager client service support Graham Allpress said recoverable assistance was interest-free and non-taxable, with repayments tailored to individual circumstances and reduced where necessary to prevent further hardship.

“If someone is struggling, we encourage them to come see us and discuss what they may be eligible for,” Allpress said.

“We may be able to assist with a food grant for those who are on a low income or a benefit, or other support. People who qualify for this type of support for food don’t have to pay the money back.”

He encouraged any superannuitant who needed assistance to contact the MSD seniors call centre 0800 559 009 or visit a service centre.

For Roberta, the first step towards a change was to talk about it.

“As a senior, we grew up in an era where you kept your business private, and you got really desperate before you said anything,” she said.

As financial hardship could feed loneliness, depression and worsening health, Roberta said people struggling should not wait until the situation reached crisis point.

“The more they can talk about what’s going on, and the more they can support organisations that are fighting for what they need and the support that they need, the better off they’re going to be,” she said.