'Life's a gamble': Max works in a supermarket, pays rent, and is almost 89

Max is almost 89, works in a supermarket and pays rent, a combination he describes with a shrug: life's a gamble.

His story is part of a series on older New Zealanders whose retirement looks nothing like the one they were told to expect.

Without a mortgage-free home, superannuation does not cover the basics, and part-time work fills the gap.

Advocates say the number of older renters is rising quickly, and that policy has not caught up.