WA seniors happy with Labor’s promise to remove unfair policy

National Seniors has welcomed WA Labor’s election promise to extend the Cost of Living Assistance (CoLA) payment to all seniors and pensioners living in retirement villages and caravan parks.

Under the current policy, seniors living in retirement villages and caravan parks are ineligible to receive the CoLA payment which is worth $200 a year.

National Seniors started a petition in February 2012 against the unfair policy and also wrote to politicians in its election submission demanding the payment be extended to all seniors and pensioners regardless of where they were living.

National Seniors WA Policy Chair June MacDonald said the Labor Party’s promise was good news for thousands of seniors.

“It was a simply unfair policy which was hurting many residents living in retirement villages and caravan parks,’’ she said.

“If you were not directly billed by the energy company but were still required to pay your bills, you were automatically cut off from receiving the payment.

“We are very happy that our hard work campaigning on this issue has been recognised by at least the Labor party.”

The WA Labor Party also announced it would introduce free photo ID for seniors who do not hold a valid driver's licence and boost the Seniors Safety and Security Rebate from $400 to $600.

National Seniors also sent its election submission to the Liberal Party but is yet to receive a response.

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National Seniors has more than 18,000 members in Western Australia and is the consumer lobby for the over 50s.