Comment
COTA wins bonus for pensioners
The Council on the Ageing welcomes the Federal Government’s Budget announcement to provide a pensioner bonus of $300. But Veronica Sheen, COTA’s deputy director, wants the bonus to be an annual additional supplement for pensioners.
COTA was the only seniors organisation actively arguing for such a bonus in the lead up to the budget. In our budget submission, sent to the Government in February, this was one of our major budget recommendations.
The GST has hit pensioners harder than the Government’s original estimates suggested. We have heard too many stories of hardship in recent months to doubt the seriousness of the situation. Single aged pensioners with little or no private income have been struggling the most, especially if they are living in rental accommodation. Many other older people who have lost their spouse discover the greater difficulties of maintaining a house or garden because the fixed costs are the same as for a couple. And, of course, the pensioners living in caravan parks are hit hard by the GST on their fees.
The bonus will help people with such expenses as repairs and maintenance or to buy something that they need but which they have not been able to put money aside for. This could include dental treatment – an expense which often is foregone by older Australians despite the pain they may suffer.
However, COTA argues that the Government needs to make this bonus an annual additional supplement for pensioners rather than a one-off payment in an election year. As long as the GST continues, pensioners’ incomes will continue to be eroded by the extra GST costs, so it is essential that there is additional, ongoing compensation.
We have called on all political parties to make this necessary commitment as soon as possible.
COTA points out that the Government has also moved to shore up support from older Australians who are self-funded retirees by increasing the tax-free threshold, and the more generous income and assets test which will allow them to claim a part pension with full access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card concessions.
As well as extending the Telephone Allowance to these newly eligible self-funded retirees, the Commonwealth has promised that it will negotiate with State and Territory Governments to extend some or all of the concessions available to pensioners to people who have the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
As Fifty-Plus News readers who travel interstate would know, and as argued by COTA in its budget submission, it is increasingly important that the mobility of older people is maximised. The Government must have heard COTA’s call to "take a leadership role in ensuring that reciprocal arrangements are negotiated".
The budget has promised other necessary health, welfare, aged care and income benefits to older Australians. But it has failed those older Australians needing affordable dental care, or waiting for a nursing home bed. COTA will push for these in the run up to the Federal election. It seems a pity that we do not have a Federal election every year!
