14 June 2011

Government fails seniors in budget

Increased rebates for pensioners announced in today’s Queensland’s budget are inadequate and fail to recognise the financial pain pensioners are experiencing, says Australia’s largest seniors’ group.

Cost of living relief measures announced today include increased subsidy levels for three rebate schemes for seniors and pensioners.

The electricity rebate will be increased by 6.6 per cent to $230 (an increase of about $14 per annum), and the maximum council rate rebate will be increased by $20 to $200 per annum.

Additionally, for pensioners in the South East Queensland water grid, the pensioner water subsidy will increase by $20 to $120.

“These rebates fail to adequately recognise the stress pensioners, and seniors in general, are experiencing due to rising cost of living pressures in all areas of day-to-day life,’’ National Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O’Neill said.

“We accept this was going to be a tough budget especially with Cyclone Yasi and the flood recovery, but in reality we can’t call these additional concessions a win for pensioners.”

In other budget news, National Seniors said it was disappointed that extra funds were not allocated to the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) for seniors in rural and remote areas who have to travel long distances for medical treatment.

“This has a big impact on vulnerable seniors in the bush who are struggling to cover the costs of expensive travel and accommodation to get to vital medical appointments,’’ O’Neill said.

“There were also no additional funds allocated to the Oral Health Scheme which is bad news for seniors hoping to get access to cheaper dental care.”

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With a quarter of a million members Australia-wide, and 90,000 in Queensland, National Seniors is the consumer lobby for the over 50s. It is the fourth largest organisation of its type in the world