International Day of Older Persons a chance to celebrate

The 25th International Day of Older Persons on October 1 is an opportunity to celebrate the significant contribution seniors make to New Zealand society, Senior Citizens Minister Maggie Barry says.

“Seniors play a pivotal role and are a very positive influence on our economy, workplaces and communities, which is only going to grow as our population ages,” Ms Barry says.

“As volunteers, seniors are crucial to many of the support groups, clubs and societies which enrich our towns and cities.”

This year’s theme for the day is “Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness in Urban Environments”, which is focused on making cities easier and more elder-friendly places to live.

“Along with the Office for Senior Citizens I have been promoting the concept of ‘age friendly communities’ which involve older people in helping make decisions on transport and health facilities and build links which make it easier for them to stay socially connected and get the information they need.”

“The Government is committed to supporting older New Zealanders and enabling them to lead active, secure and meaningful lives. We have increased the superannuation rate by 31 per cent since taking office, well ahead of inflation. We are committed to keeping the age of entitlement at 65, and the rate will remain at 66 per cent of the average wage.”

“In the last year we have recruited 650 new businesses to the SuperGold card scheme, bringing the number of outlets offering discounts to more than 12,000.”

“Together with the Prime Minister I recently launched SuperSeniors, the new, custom-made one stop shop website for information relevant to anyone over 50. The new website, newsletter and social media channels will ensure older people can get access to the information they need in one place.”

www.superseniors.msd.govt.nz

ENDS

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