Māori heading for retirement could be in more dire circumstances than their Pākehā counterparts, but their plight is being overlooked.

That’s how New Zealand Māori Council executive director Matthew Tukaki sees the results of a ground breaking research the council commissioned on financial security among older Māori.

Focus groups of wāhine Māori between 55 and 65 and over 65 found many were concerned they didn’t have enough savings to retire.

He says organisations like the Retirement Commissioner overlook the Māori economic and cultural dimension.

"They forget to take into account the situation that we as a people find ourselves in. Generally, we are involved in low wage, low skill jobs which means our earning capacity is a lot lower which means our saving capacity is a lot lower. We are less likely to own our own homes and more likely to not be able to afford market rent in our major cities," Mr Tukaki says.

He would like to see a Māori retirement commissioner as well as programmes through whānau ora to ensure the needs of older people are met.

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