SIMPLE luxuries such as buying an ice cream, going to the movies or even a meal are being missed out on by pensioners in the Great Lakes as they dig into their savings to survive.
Because of this those on the single age pension have welcomed an announcement by the coalition to introduce new legislation into parliament to raise the pension by $30 per week.
National Seniors Association Manning Great Lakes Branch president Bruce King said he would welcome the increase.
Mr King said he lives on around $30 a week more than he is getting.
“Brendon Nelson must have had someone research what we needed,” Mr King said.
With his wife living in a nursing home Mr King said he does receive 10 per cent of her income to contribute to the maintenance of their house.
“All the standard charges are sill born by the single pensioner,” Mr King said.
Single pensioners need extra help because they must bear the full cost of maintaining their house and activities.
“Many pensioners don’t buy the normal things they would if they had the money.”
The proposed increase follows comments by senior politicians, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, that they could not live off the current $237 per week single aged pension.
Mr King said he believes the increase pensioners get every six months does keep in line with the rising costs but they still don’t allow pensioners small luxuries.
“Nothing will be enough but it will acknowledge the need and make a difference,” Mr King said.
The major concern for pensioners is they must live beyond what they are getting and those without capital and savings can’t afford it.
“We can’t take holidays or buy extra things because we are living on the money we would normally use (for other luxuries),” Mr King said.
Smiths Lake resident Yvonne Elliott-Davies has said the increase of postage stamps by 10 per cent will again make it harder for pensioners over the holiday period if they don’t get anything extra.
“Those grandparents who will not be able to afford petrol to visit their grandchildren for Christmas will now be struggling to even post a card,” Ms Elliott-Davies said.
The Council on the Ageing has welcomed the possibility of an extra $30 per week but has said it needs to be extended beyond single age pension to the carer payment and the disability support pension.
The council believes the additional funds will provide some interim relief but doesn’t address the inadequacy of the carer payment and the disability support pension.
September 20 saw an increase to the single age pension by $7.65 a week, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The $30 per week increase would move the single age pension from 59 per cent to 66 per cent of the couple pension and bring Australia’s single age pension into line with other OECD countries.
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