Hunter MP'S Criticize Plan To Stop Scheduled Pension Pay Rise For 12 Months

BY KEELY JOHNSON

For the first time since 1997, Hunter age pensioners will not receive a scheduled increase to their payments until March next year.

In the most recent Senate inquiry it was confirmed there will be no September increase due to a period of negative inflation in the June quarter.

Shortland MP Pat Conroy says pensioners have been struggling with rises to health, energy and food expenses and it is unacceptable that they go 12 months without their payment being indexed.

"Labor and I are calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and say this is not on, there needs to be an indexation of the pension in September as everyone expects there to be... I think its very unfair for the Government to be attacking pensioners,' Pat Conroy said

The Government also confirmed several other payments would not be indexed either, including the Disability Support Pension (DSP).

"This means a further 6,000 Shortland residents will be impacted... Almost 30,000 Shortland residents on the age pension or the DSP will be affected by having their pension cut because of this very mean, half-hearted decision by the Coalition Government," Pat Conroy said.

"Pensioners aren't living a life of luxury, they are doing their best everyday to pay their bills and this means the pension will have to go a bit further because prices are rising."

Image credit: Gladstone Observer

Struggle for the aged pension in the Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Aged pensioners in the Hunter are being forced to live without an income for months on end as they wait for aged pension applications to be approved.

A backlog of Centrelink claims is creating the wait period and Human Services Minister Alan Tudge is being called upon to explain just how large the backlog is and how long aged pension applicants will have to go without income.

Some are able to live on savings but many don't have savings. They have to rely on family or charity for day-to-day expenses.

Paterson MP Meryl Swanson says her office receives call after call from people who have been waiting up to six months for their aged pension applications to be approved.

"This government has made such savage cuts that we're now seeing some of our most vulnerable people having to wait months for something that they are entitled to; they've paid their taxes their whole life and now they're being told you have to wait over six months for a pension. It really isn't good enough."

This latest error follows a backlog which saw students who applied for Abstudy and Youth Allowance wait months to be processed.