Pension changes to come into effect tomorrow
A total of 28,195 people in the Page electorate will benefit from increased and more regular financial payments from the Australian Government from this Thursday.
As well, pensions are scheduled to go up with the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, today said local pensioners, carers, disability support pensioners and self-funded retirees would all be better off with increases in the Utilities Allowance, Seniors Concession Allowance and Telephone Allowance.
“Labor went to the election promising to help make ends meet for seniors, people with disability and carers and that’s what we are delivering,” Ms Saffin said.
“On Thursday, 28,195 people in Page will start receiving increased allowances.
“For Utilities Allowance recipients in Page the payments will go up from $107.20 a year to $500 a year for singles or couples combined.
“And because bills arrive in the letterbox every three months, that’s how often we’ll be paying the allowance — quarterly instalments to meet quarterly utilities bills.
“This will mean a $125 payment, every three months, for eligible carers, pensioners and people with disability.
“The 16,813 recipients of the Age Pension in Page will begin receiving this payment in the fortnight starting Thursday, 20 March 2008.
“The Government is also extending the allowance to 1426 Carer Payment recipients and 7790 on Disability Support Pension recipients under Age Pension age in Page.
“Widow B Pension, Wife Pension, Bereavement Allowance and veterans and their partners receiving invalidity service pension, partner service pension or an income support supplement will also receive the payments of $125 each quarter.
“Telephone Allowance will also increase, from $88 to $132 a year, for those with a home internet connection. Recipients should contact Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs with details of their home internet service provider.
“The Seniors Concession Allowance will also rise, from $218 a year, to $500 a year for 2166 local Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card holders, and will also be paid quarterly.
And people receiving payments such as the Age Pension, Carer Payment, Special Benefit and Disability Support Pension will receive a 1.7 per cent boost to their pensions in line with the rise in the CPI.
“People on Newstart, Partner Allowance, Parenting Payment (partnered), Mature Age Allowance, Widow Allowance and Sickness Allowance, will also see a rise in payments through the CPI indexation.
“The maximum single rate of pension will rise by $9.10, to $546.80 a fortnight, while the maximum partnered pension will increase by $7.70 to $456.80 a fortnight for each member of a couple.
“This equates to annual increases of $236.60 for single pensioners and $200.20 for each member of a pensioner couple.
“This announcement will provide enhanced assistance to many Australians, including many in Page, helping them better budget for regular bills throughout the year, through quarterly, increased payments.”
Deeming rates for social security payments will rise by half of one per cent from 20 March.
The new deeming rates are: four per cent for the first $39,400 of a single pensioner’s financial investments ($65,400 for pensioner couples and $32,700 for each member of an allowee couple), and six per cent for financial investments above those amounts.
