"Several thousand New Zealanders will be interviewed. It will give us a rich source of data to inform us on the mix of retirement policies we need," Ms Foulkes said.
"This all becomes critical when you realise that if you retire at 65, the average New Zealander can expect to spend over a quarter of their adult life in retirement," she says.
"Today, there is no comprehensive data on what New Zealanders have and need," says Ms Foulkes. "This research will help us develop a long term retirement income policy for New Zealand.
The research has three major components:
"This research programme will create a picture of the full spectrum of New Zealanders’ living standards in 2000," says Ms Foulkes. "People will be asked over 60 questions ranging from whether they can afford to replace a worn out pair of shoes, to owning a PC and having access to the Internet."
The last similar survey was conducted in 1975. "Since then New Zealanders’ lives have changed. And they will continue to change over the next 25 years", says Ms Foulkes.
"The information gained from this research will be of value not only to the Taskforce, but to government departments, interested organisations and older people themselves. We hope it will be used as a benchmark for further research," says Ms Foulkes. "We’d like to think of this as the first in a series rather than a one-off."
Statistics New Zealand is undertaking the Survey of Older People in 2000, on behalf of the Taskforce, and is set to pilot the questionnaire in November this year. The actual survey is planned for February 2000.
A trans-Tasman research team has been appointed to undertake the analysis and reporting of the research. It will be led by Dr Peter Travers from Flinders University of Adelaide, and also includes Dr Sholeh Maani, University of Auckland, and Dr Adriana VandenHeuvel, National Institute of Labour Studies, Adelaide. Final results will be available in September 2000.
"This is exciting work relevant to a whole range of policies affecting the lives of older New Zealanders, but will not directly determine the appropriate level of New Zealand Superannuation", says Ms Foulkes. "While a survey of this nature can provide valuable information, decisions about payment levels will always reflect political judgement about what is sustainable and fair across the whole economy.
"Income is likely to be an important factor, but it may not be the sole determinant of living standards. We believe it's important that the research explores a wide range of issues such as health, family circumstances, housing and support from friends and family. This will assist the Taskforce in developing a comprehensive retirement income framework," says Ms Foulkes.
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