Carers, seniors, disabled promised increased support
Thousands of North Coast seniors, carers and disability pensioners will benefit from increased support to manage their household budgets under a re-elected Coalition Government, according to Page Nationals candidate Chris Gulaptis.
“For a range of reasons including the sea change/tree change phenomenon, we have more low income residents on the North Coast than just about anywhere else in Australia,” Mr Gulaptis said.
“That also means we benefit more than most from increased Government support for less wealthy individuals and families. This doesn’t just help them, it injects millions of dollars in our local economy to the benefit of local small business families.
“The new Coalition policy will increase the Utilities Allowance from $107 to $500 per year, and we will extend it so that it will become available to carers and disability pensioners if the Government is re-elected.”
Mr Gulaptis said lower income self-funded retirees had not been forgotten in the package and the Seniors Concession Allowance would be increased from $214 a year to $500.
“The Coalition Government was the first to index aged pensions to both inflation and average wages, however, we needed to do more,” he said.
“In recognition that the cost of living for seniors can in some cases outpace both general inflation and wages, the Coalition will introduce a Cost of Living guarantee for pensioners, which will top up the pension if this happens, based on the ABS’ Living Cost Index for Age Pensioner Households.
“Finally, we understand that measures the Federal and State Governments take to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions will make electricity more expensive.
“That is why we will use proceeds from a Climate Change fund to lessen the impact of rising power bills on pensioners and other low income households.”
October 25th, 2007 at 2:46 am
I find it funny that Chris Gulaptis is endorsing John Howards proposal about Greenhouse gas emissions, when it was not so long ago that the Federal Coalition Government toally denied the existance of Global Warming and its consequences.
All of a sudden now there’s a “Climate Change Fund,” Oh, OK, sure.
KEVIN 07.