Do you believe the Australian Government gives pensioners enough money to live on?
Posted by: chips48
17th Jun 2011 05:21pm
I'd like to know if people believe that pensioners who rely on Government pensions receive a fair income or not. Today's aged pensioners are the people who have made the country what it is today, and when we were young we did not have the option of saving in superannuation accounts for our future because we believed that, after paying out taxes all our working lives, we would be rewarded with a pension that would enable us to feed and clothe ourselves for our twilight years, as this is what we had been told would happen. Now, we find ourselves struggling to even feed ourselves, let alone paying our utility bills. Someimes it is a matter of whether we can afford to turn the heater on or go without food if we do.
So, do other pensioners and/or younger people believe we receive enough money, or should we be given at least the minimum wage?
So, do other pensioners and/or younger people believe we receive enough money, or should we be given at least the minimum wage?
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Comments 115
david
chips48 i think they should be getting a little more.but the basic perhaps 10% but going to the basic wage would be far to much.it would destroy our econonomy.
19chris51
NO...... I am on disability support pension, can not get public housing so pay full rent (yes I do get a rent rebate ) by the time I buy my prescriptions ( again I know I get these at a cheaper price)pay my rent and buy basic food for the fortnight, I have none left over, not even to have a treat, so No I don`t think pensioners get enough...... age pensioners have worked their whole life and paid their taxes , and they should be allowed to enjoy something for all their time and efforts................. and No Mr, Who ever MP (can`t remember his name) They do not GO ON CRUISES, my goodness, most are like me and just get by.......... and although it may sound as if I am complaining I am not, as I am sure most are not, but fair go MP`s don`t say things like cruises, that is entirely untrue for most.................... most just have adequate to get by on, with no extras, or many new clothes..................... but the minimum wage............ that would be like winning the lottery, well not really, but would have a better quality life.......... and HEATING in winter..... my god I`m freezing.
Instnx
The government should rise payments to pensioners as they have paid for their dues as hard working Australians and have contributed taxes. Lower the pension age so humans can enjoy life whilst their health deteriorates over time!
19chris51
I don`t think this government cares, raise the age, let them all work and then die off so they don`t have to pay us their words "bluggers" they call the older folk, who have provided their educations with their taxes,,.............. they make me sick
Anonymous
Pensioners should get at least minimum wage or close to it ,for the ,ost art they wrked hard and paid their taxes.
Unlike big bushiness with their tax breaks and subsidies
socker
No I do not think that pensioners get enough. Now the budget is out and if it is not blocked by the oposition it will only get worse. The pension now will go up by the CPI not the minimum wage.
This means that over time the pension will gradually reduce as wages go up slightly faster than the CPI.
The reason wages go up faster than the CPI is because the high salary earners the CEO and such make sure that their income always faster than the CPI.
Just look at the LNP in the Queensland government they put their salary up 30% but offer empolyees two and a half percent
Ashar
No, definitely not. It by no means covers the cost of living especially for those who are renting. Yes I agree the pension should be the equivalent of the minimum wage plus CPI increases. Newstart should also be increased in line with the pension.
Sil sil
Today's pension has definately not been researched. Can someone with half a brain in politics please add up what the average pensioner has contributed in taxes while working & then check how much electricity, water etc bills cost plus food etc.they need a lot more money just to live a basic reasonable standard of living, unemployed ppl get more so go figure? Let alone asylum seekers... Not good enough, what incentive is there to work hard all your life, even if you are mortgage free how will the pension cover your costs of living??
Di-zee
You know I never believed in hand outs. What a laugh today. I worked all my life and yes became ill. Now I am on a disability pension. I am grateful what I receive. Yet I had to learn to live on what I get. I am at this stage where do I get rid of my private health fund. Which means not getting the help and support I do in the private sector. Do I get rid of the car as everything is going up. So for the age and Disability no its is not enough. For single parenting, for me that needs to be serious looked at. I am sorry folks one child one mistake, two is a maybe. Yet after that you learn to manage. I have seen young mothers and there partners, who have never worked, yet keep receiving. It is different if you just came out of marriage with 5 kids. As you had hope and dreams.
There is a lot of things that the government has put in place which I don't agree with. Yet that is another tale.
wildlife
No, pensioners do not receive "enough to live on" after all the years they work and support the country, paying taxes, save for retirement to maintain , at least, the standard of living they are entitled to.
Kids on the dole are better off because they receive other benefits, eg, rent assistance, travel allowances, permitted to do casual work, etc and receive the dole.
These kids have too many options NOT to work today.
The minimum wage would be a much fairer allowance so these pensioners do not have to budget so they can afford to pay utility bills and feed themselves a healthy diet.
Unless people have contributed to the country, paying taxes for a minimum of 10 years there should not be any pension or government handouts.
Our Pensioners should come first after the wars they have been involved in and the great depression, thus giving us the country we have today.
They are NOT respected nor appreciated for their contribution to Australia, being asked to live on the meager sum they receive.
snoop
I saw my parents struggle being on the pension so my father became a full time gardener as he had a 5 acre block. I saw him come home from work, he'd have a bit to eat and cup of coffee and then went into the garden until he was unable to see, so when he retired he had no chose than to do produce fruit and vegies to save on money.Having resently been placed on a Disability Pension after a work incident, I was not prepared to stop work when I did. Receiving the pension and trying to pay for the things brought on bank loan or credit and paying rent, pay utilities, food, clothing and fuel, I had no choice than to change my ways of doing things. I stopped going out, cooked basic foods that didn't require much cooking time, stopped using the heater/airconditioner, only used dishwasher when it was full and did the laundry when I had a full 8 kg of washing. Purchased a L.E.D. Lantern which ran on batteries and used that instead of using electricity.
I always felt that pensioners were living below the poverty line and the pension should go up substanciously to enable us to live a dignififed life. Australia will become a country for the rich and powerful and anyone less fortunate or on a pension will homeless and will do anything to try and survive. Australia is known as the Lucky Country but soon it will no longer be so Lucky. You will see homeless, and those who can't afford to live like the rest of the people will resort to breaking into shop to get food. Unless you have the government of the day start taxing the wealthy,( those earning $20 to 50 million a year, like CEO's and big company Executives more), Australia will become a third world country, How can anyone say these people are worth that much in comparrison to what they do?. It's crazy and have you ever seen these rich people give away 1 million a year to help those less fortunate? I can count them on one hand.
I agree wholeheartedly with chips48's comments that pensioners should have more money given to them so they can do the same things everyone else does.
June
Totally agree snoop. Do you think any of those big executives and millionaires etc., give a second thought to the likes of us? I am wondering what all the previous commenters who said they couldn't wait for the Liberal party to take over think now. It seems like we Pensioners are going to be a whole lot worse off if what we hear about raising the GST and also no increase for Pensioners but plenty of money for high income parental leave payments is true. We pensioners and low income families also have to pay GST on products don't we? Mr Campbell Newman has apparently just recently had a wonderful big increase. I thought also that there was going to be "plenty of jobs under the new Liberal/National party" So far all I have seen or heard about is that hundreds will be losing jobs. I think we Pensioners can kiss any little luxuries goodbye unfortunately and even more so necessities.
mustang6000
I have to agree with most comments. As someone who struggles on the disability pension, I feel for those living on the breadline with Aged pensions.
For many years I have believed that all politicians, from all levels of government, should have to live on only the lowest of the pension payments for 3 months from first being elected. Then you would quickly see a rapid change in their appreciation of what all pensioners suffer.
We can only dream, can't we?
Di-zee
I had always worked, and never imaginged that still at a young age I would be on a pension. My god I never collected the dole as a kid. Everyone has a voice about the pension. For the age leave it alone. People who worked all there lives paid there taxes and today Hokey wants to up the pension age. It is rubbish. The pension age should be 65 yet work longer if you wish. The thing is it is calulated in what investments/collatoral you posses anyway. For the people that where born in the 1920's they did not have super some used there brains and invested.
Disability pension this is the one that I am on and can talk about. I am grateful for my $800 a fortnight pay. Yet when you calculate the things you have before you ended up like this, the pension does not meet the expensises. Life insurance, car, contents/house, health insurance. Then ontop you need to pay your regular bills, Rego/Electricity/Rent/Food/Petrol. I wish I was receing my weekly paycheck. It would be nice to receive $1000 a fortnight. Then I can breathe. Yet I don't and as I said I am greatful for what I receive, which is better then nothing at all.
Single parent pension that gripes me. I am sorry for saying this and probally will get a back lash. The first child is a mistake. Yet after the first child, one should learn. This is the area the government should be looking at. The young have it too easy with the handouts. Yes I was married two children. My pension back in 1988 for $300 a fortnight. Now today it is so different. Yes I went out to work kids in childcare. As I needed to survive for my children. That was the incentive to give your children a better future then living off houndouts.
Sorry I got in a tangent on this.
No the Age pension should be increased
The government pay Rises shouold be stopped.
Disability pension should increase
The Single parent pension should be decreased
archangel
If the pollies were to live on the pension that non politicians get they would change it pretty quick
Wackywog
The minimum wage should apply to all pensions, not only the aged pension. Everyone struggles with the continuing spirally cost of living particularly with rates, insurance, electricity and gas, let alone food. Some states allow aged pensioners a flat cost ticket to get around and this is not available in all states and should be. In fact I dont see why aged pensioners should have to pay for transport at all. They contributed to the economy when they were in the workforce so free travel should be an acknowledgement of their worthy contribution. Many older people do not get enough appreciation in their old age for their contributions to sociiety and its about time the government did something about it in the form of better concessions or higherpensions.
Kessa1959
I do believe that pensioners receive a raw deal however where is the additional money to come from as we have an aging population with more people retiring so less people paying taxes.
My husband and I know that by the time we retire there probably won't be a pension so he will have to continue to work till we have enough in our superannuation.
My parents downsized their home so were able to invest the little bit extra to help with living expenses which is what I expect my husband and myself will also have to do as soon as he retires.
Billie
When I retired from work and moved to the country, I had plans to build a house on a property I had bought when I was working. I had a smallish retirement fund but no matter which way I tried, the money wouldn't extend to building a new house. After trying everything, I ended buying an old house from someone else's property for $11,000 which included the cost of having it moved to my 4 acres. I spent many years doing it up and at times ran out of funds. I was so broke a couple of times that I had to go the Salvos to get some money to buy food. I couldn't get a job, so I was very embarrassed to have to ask and was terribly thankful that such an organisation existed. But I was also very thankful for my allowance from the Government. We are so lucky to be Australian and the older I get, the more I appreciate the fact. I have adjusted to the pension because I enjoy the challenge of making adjustments to my lifestyle. As I get older, the less I need. I'm no longer a fashion plate and my food is planned out. I pay things off if I really want or need something. I am really pleased to buy some small luxury, like a cake or a dessert which I can make last for 2 or 3 meals. I sit and plan to pay the utilities in small amounts until the day it must be paid in full. I treat it as a challenge for my brain which I really want to keep exercised. We can all do it, but it takes a bit of thinking about. Let's be grateful that we don't live in Sri Lanka, where they get nothing.
Billie.
Charlottekay62
I am a disabled pensioner due to a chronic illness. I have had the illness for over 20 years but it has only stopped me from working completely in the last 5 years. I now live on a pension in a government-owned newly built 3 bedroom home and pay rent based on 25% of my earnings (ie. pension). That is less than half market rental.
As well, annually I get $500 a year for fuel, a huge discount of pharmaceuticals (plus a ceiling after which they are free). I get discounts on energy, telephone, public transport, glasses, dentist, doctor and many specialists. All surgical and hospital emergencies are free. I get a cleaner and a gardener at subsidized prices, and membership at the gym and pool, plus discounts at a number of merchants. Even discounted vet fees that are further supplemented by cash back programs run by charities. And there are other benefits I don't qualify for.
If I wish to study, I receive an extra weekly allowance, an annual book allowance, plus discounted books, fees, and software. Recruitment agencies can further help with the cost.
I worked very hard when I worked and have paid plenty of taxes in my day, when I was earning a high salary for the times, but I got my university education for free, plus the study allowance, and later with a loan I will never need to pay back unless I return to that high level of income.
Am I being paid fairly? I have never lived so well!
People may complain that they don't get enough but I can say from personal experience that it is more than enough if some things are given up. I don't eat out more than once a month and I don't drink alcohol - although I do drink excessive amounts of cola.
I no longer work so I don't need fancy hair cuts, colourings and treatments. I no longer buy make up and jewelry. My clothes are 90% bought from op shops because I can get clean barely worn clothing there for next to nothing, I can afford to wear a whole new wardrobe every season - I don't need suits now. But if I really want to, I can buy clothes new, if I wait until there are sales.
I buy everything I can from fridges to undies when they're on sale. Including food. I don't buy cheaper brands if there is one I particularly prefer, I just wait for a sale. I keep my hot water consumption low and prefer to wear more clothes and rugs for keeping warm.
I have expensive vices which would be a real problem if my life wasn't so subsidized by the government - cigarettes, internet gaming and 5 cats. If I didn't have these, and if I owned my own home as most older people on a pension do, I would have easily $200 a week in savings - or more food. Nobody starves in Australia unless they have higher priorities (for some luxury or vice, seeing essentials are already covered) than food for their money. Even still, most supermarkets have arrangements with charities the food vouchers, and there is also food bank.
I don't understand why so many pensioners gripe, unless it is just the old "entitlement" syndrome. I want therefore someone should give it to me. Even elderly people are not genuinely suffering unless they are very badly handling their money.
Be assured the problem is not LACK OF MONEY, it is mismanagement of it.
Personally, I am eternally grateful to the Australian taxpayers for my comfortable lifestyle that is making a sick person's worth living.
One final note. I don't watch TV, or chat to lots of people about the news, so I didn't know we'd had a worldwide economic crash - I had not felt one cent worse off during the whole emergency and aftermath!
blondie72
Absolutely NOWHERE near enough money!! Minimum wage would be wonderful! People think pensioners don't need to pay home/contents insurance, car insurance, rates, phone bills, repairs, I'm sure - because after you pay those and rent there is NO money left to buy FOOD. Pensioners should be able to at least afford a haircut and one new pair of shoes a year. It's disgraceful.
cazzie
NO no no and why would anyone
cazzie
NO no no and why would anyone
bluey42
nope!!! BIG TIME!!!
coca
I don't think the government is treating the pensioners right. Most of the pensioners probably have been working hard and paying taxes in their younger days. Now they are old they are not getting enough help. The utilities alone are so expensive. The government give priority help to the ones who either do not need them or someone/somebody who was not a tax payer of this country.
blondie72
Aged & Disability Pensioners should definitely get the equivalent to minimum wage per week! I can't believe that Australia can be so mean to their neediest - it's appalling!
Bigfoot
Hi Chips, Like all pensioners I would love to have more money put into my pension by the government. I am one of the lucky ones, our house is fully owned by my wife and I, and so we get through reasonably well but don't have very many luxuries like going out to a restaurant or the movies. My car runs on LPG and I collect the supermarket fuel dockets and that is a big savings even on LPG. My real gut wrenching problem with any government we have is that they can vote their own pay rises in and so how can that be stopped?? I guess all "Pollies" are only in it for power, money or both. No one Party is any better than the other.
Val
I guess it depends on circumstances. My mother in law is 86 years old and still lives in her own home. While this means she doesn't have to pay rent, she has to pay rates every quarter and doesn't receive rent assistance. She always has enough to give her 7 children $100 each at Christmas. She doesn't drink alcohol, smoke or gamble but she does have to take a bucket-full of tablets every day. She has a car, which she uses only to drive to the shops or to church, but she manages to keep it fueled and maintained without any supplementary income.
In her words, she lives very comfortably. Perhaps it's her Scotch ancestry!
bettythrelfo
Who noticed that we had a lady politician who got up and said that she c ould live on thirty five dollars a day. Now I guess that does not include rent, or new clothes, or heating, o r co oling, or paying for the difference like I am finding when I go to claim on medi care, and there is a gap, like they charged me one hundred and ninety five dollars and I will be lucky to get the ninety five back. So what happens how do I struggle to pay the one hundred dollars, plus that is only l of the 6 visits I have to make on all sorts of lung, heart, thyroid, lung again and then thyroid again. To get into the hospital and get looked to takes anything up to twelve months. Lets see Jenny macklaine pay for those type of costs, when they tell you that memdicare does not cover it., and the firms charge a lot more, but you have to go... love to hear what others have to say......
Xyzajam
I am comming up to retirement and are starting to realise that the pension is not going to be enough to live on especially if over your life you have not been lucky enough to end up owning a home and have to pay rent. The government should think a little bit more about the amount a pensioner would need.
Lockhart
When a government takes more care of illegal immigrants and prisoners in gaol than its pensioners as well as encouraging moslem immigration is a government that needs to be changed.
Stekel
In 1947 the than Government changed the tax system and included 7% of all taxes paid was for pensions so that if a person paid 40 to 45 years of taxes he or she should have a fairly comfortable life after finishing work on at least 25% of the average Australian wage.
Howard was one of the Politicians who apparently tried to change this to 20% and than increased it by some $ 4,00 for the GST or as I call it "the evil Tax", this $ 4.00 never paid the GST so the pension dropped below 20%, now however the Labour party tried to bring it back up to 25%, however they have introduced the Carbon Tax and the compensation for this will not get any-where to the cost we have to pay, the stupidity of this is many pensioners have a reasonable back-garden with plenty of trees and bushes which absorve carbon and should be paid for it instead of paying, but than how many politicians appear to have any brains.
Anonymous
no i dont think pensioners are getting enough cause the time they pay their bills and get their food they be lucky to have 20 dollars left to their name wich is very wrong i think they deserve a little more money just to help them out
posty
No I believe old age pensioners deserve better especially single pensioners who still have all the utility bills to pay leaving them even less for food etc.
CAT17
I just have to add my comment to this subject. As pensioners my husband and I will be paid the princely sum of $380 to compensate us for the rise in costs when the carbon tax comes in. Our last electric bill was nearly that and we live carefully. So how the government thinks that the handout is really going to help us with all the increases we are about to face I just have to say I think it is an insult. We have paid our taxes all our lives and now we are being patronised by a government that waste money on things that most of us will never have the benefit of. It just makes me mad. The pension is also an insult to the people who really are the back bone of this country, the ones who did it tough and yet managed to keep a home for our families and food on our tables. We didn't get baby bonuses, child care rebates school uniform hand outs etc. We had to manage. As we get older things should become easier for us, but that is not the way it is. If the pension could not be raised to at least the minimum wage would give most of us some dignity. Do you realise that asylum seekers get much more in allowances,( not to mention housing medical education etc.) than the pension? Seems there is always enough money for those that have contibuted nothing to this country and those of us who have get very little.
Our PM is always handed over millions to aid others, millions to prop up industries that are pro labour and union strong, millions wasted on pink bats, school halls etc etc and yet has no qualms about leaving the homeless and the sick to fend as best they can. I thought government was for ALL the people, but I guess I got that wrong. We grey power people need to start yelling loud and clear for things to get better.
chips48
Thanks to all the people who have responded to my question regarding whether pensioners get enough from the government. It appears that most of us feel the same way, so perhaps if we all started sending messages to our local parliamentarians, and there are enough of us to really fill up their email boxes, facebook pages or tweets if we all did this, so please guys, give it a try. If the silent majority stays silent, and lets the vocal minority rule the way things are, things won't change. It needs a lot of people to do this, or it just won't work, so please, everyone, give it a try and see if, for once, we can make a difference. We'll never know if we don't give it a go. Another idea would be to write in to magazines and newspapers letters to the editor to try and get our views heard by others, because most politicians read these, too.
Thanks once again for the terrific response to my question, and please keep the theme going for as long as possible so that people can actually maybe make some friends, as it appears may be the case already.
God bless you all, and here's hoping things change for us all soon.
Hugs
Christine
pete
as a pensioner myself I believe that we should receive at least the minimum wage.
tam
In a nut shell NO NO AND THAT WOULD BE A NO
but they do not want to know this because that mean they may need to cut spending
how much more can they cut.
There is one thing they can do no make that two. Stop selling us out to other countries.
The second is take a pay cut. Why are they payed so much anyway??????
The pensioners is just the tip of a big problem but they still get a pay packet that is over flowing so who can they see what is under nose.
The answer is they JUST DO NOT CARE!!!!
Alex
I like 'paradox' ... good name.
Oddly enough it is also a paradox that increasing payments to pensioners stimulates the economy and increases tax revenue. It works like this:
Pensioner spends extra money (say at the supermarket) turnover increases and extra tax is paid. Not only that, but the money the pensioner has spent does not disappear. It may be paid to an employee and taxed, the employee is taxed on it again, and when he spends it it's taxed again and so on. How much tax can a dollar generate before it is worn away to nothing? Heaps. There is no ecconomic downside to this process. Our entire economy relies on it and interest. Do you think Swan has any idea of this?
cupcake40au
I dont know what all u pensioners are complaining about.
Try living on Newstart Allowance, probably in the vicinity of $250 f/n less, no rate reductions, no cheap travel, etc,
I work 2 part time jobs of approx 38 hrs f/n and receive a pittance from the govt.
Every time there is a bonus payment for pensioners, I miss out, doesnt come my way. I am doing it tough.
Anonymous
I am 27 years old so not on a pension (yet) but know people who are. Personally, i am disgusted that our government thinks it is okay; and continues to throw a few crumbs to our most vulnerable citizens. Careers, Disabled, Unemployed etc are other vulnerable citizens who also recieve very little help/support from our at times very wealthy government. We have enough to go around and help everyone who needs it but only if our government is in future held accountable or better still, stopped, from making high-risk gambles like the world cup for example, which lost billions of dollars and has left massive 'black holes' in government budgets. The government scream poor but they are nothing more than problem gamblers!
Anonymous
they sure don"t get enough money. i am on a pension and my husband had an accedent and centerlink won"t give him an income untill may 2013 centerlink said the govement has not looked at this section scence 1991 so we get $610 a fortnight and pay a morgage out of that so any wander we are up to our neck in bills .get a grip julia and do somthing about our income. the refugees get a better income than we do .i didn"t relise untill now what a 3rd world country the govement makes us live in
Leelita
YES...they should be given the min wage. Its disgusting what they get, And they go to St Vinnies or Salvation Army for food parcels and they get given No Name margarine, no name cheese slices, no name canned fruit,no name long life milk and would you believe they actually get given VEGEMITE!! Only because there is No Name! They dont even get given any MEAT, or DISH LIQUID, LAUNDRY DET, TOOT PAPER! Its disgusting and degrading! I see on tv the food parcels at xmas time being boxed up and there full of goodies!!! BUT i sure dont know who's getting those ones because there sure not the ones being handed out at Xmas any where around my areas or surrounding areas!
Tubby66
I believe that the age pension should be equivalent to the minimum standard wage. These people worked all their lives & payed their taxes why shouldn't they be given dignity to be able to have some luxury in life
gailkav
I am on an aged pension, and am lucky enough to only pay $200 a fortnight board. If I had to pay full rent somewhere I would not be able to get by at all, and the Dept of Housing is no use, the waiting list will outlive me. I don't believe illegal immigrants get it all though, they wouldn't get that far. I came here in 1969 as a ten pound pom and had to fight Centrelink to get accepted for a pension after living here 40 years, being in the workforce, voting, paying taxes and raising a family. Yes I am a legal immigrant but I had to prove it to them, and that was only two years ago. So I don't think illegal immigrants stand much of a chance. The pollies like you to think that, because it takes the heat off how much they get in perks, travel allowances, living away from home and all the rest. Put the blame where it belongs. Pollies never have to wrap a towel around their knees in the winter or sit two inches away from a cheap KMart fan in summer. Pollies get huge pay outs when they leave their jobs. They don't have to live in a small room because they can't afford a unit. Only the people with a lifetime of working and voting behind them have to do that.
will88
Certainly not!! Most old age pensioners are struggling to keep paying their bills/feed/clothe themselves - what a pity??? after a lifetime of working hard & paying huge amount of taxes & have to struggle to live on a miserable old aged pension in their twilight years!!!!! I AM ONE OF THE STRUGGLING OLD AGED PENSIONERS
trix56
Who uses heaters? Who eats fruit these days? I have found a shop where I can get cheap "read past their use by date" vegies most of the time. I'm sorry but I do buy a lot of imported groceries because I can't afford the australian made variety. Meat? What's that? Oh the sunday roast. Yeah I get that.
Yeah it's hard. You penny pinch here and you penny pinch there and then the rent and the power goes up. You run out of room to penny pinch so you either starve or get your prescriptions. I know! Do one 1 week and the other the next week.
burnsy
Whether the actual amount is sufficient is ebatable but the CPI increases given ensure that pensioners continue to fall further and further behind all increases in the real cost of living.
Compare this with the "so called" INDEPENDENT arbiter who has just furnished the back bencher with an increase in excess of TWICE the annual pension.
So much for a FAIR distribution of wealth.
CAT17
Here here burnsy could not have put it better myself. Cheers!
mysteron347
Governments of all political persuasions have been buying votes in the coming election by mortgaging the future. It's recently become blatant, though it remains totally invisible to the one-eyed supporters of either tribe.
Baby-boomers are now retiring, living longer (on retirement income) and demanding what was promised. Problem is, the cupboard's bare and no politician has the necessary gumption to admit that we're in a mess. They want to implement an increasingly-hysterical short-term fix and leave the problem for the next batch of pollies to sort out.
For years, we have had people being taken off of the dole queue and given non-jobs administering. Not actually administering anything of consequence, normally the inevitable licensing/training/certificating/inspecting regimes for whatever has attracted the fickle public's attention for a short while. Then someone has to pay for it, so the fees come in, and then get increased and applied more widely as people get used to them.
Problem is, if we got rid of all of the non-jobs, we'd have a spike in our unemployment figures (already politically rigged.)
What we need to do is to get back to the knitting. Determine what government services are really required, what providing them will cost, how much it will cost to provide pensioners with a decent living standard and from there where and how to get the money.
And then we also have to work out other questions. For instance, why should someone who has simply spent their income on entertaining themselves be provided with extra benefits that are denied to those who have made a concious effort to make provision for their retirement?
wicko
Considering the age pension for a couple is below the official poverty line,I would say that the pension is inadequate.
I retired 12 years ago and since then our budget for living has got more tenuous
as the years have gone by.
Increased charges for all utilities and Government services(rates,rego etc.)have made life more difficult.
On the minimum wage we would feel blessed !
ree
No we do not get enough to cover everything, each week it seem as something has gone up from food ,petrol and utility's, you try to put something away but you end up having to use it just to make ends meet
mustang6000
We also try to survive on a DSP and Carer's Pension...only just survive I should say. I have long advocated that all politicians, that includes local councillers, state & federal members, should have to live on a basic pension for 6 months when they first take office. I am sure that would soon take some of the smugness out of them and give them some realisation of how a large part of the population has to live.
barbieg
I am a pensioner and I definately do not get enough money. I would like to invite the prime minister, all politicians and anyone else who believes that we do get enough money, to live a while in my shoes. I WOULD LOVE TO RECEIVE THE MINIMUM WAGE WITH THAT I WOULD EVEN BE ABLE TO HAVE A SAVINGS INTEREST ACCOUNT AT MY BANK----WHOOOOOPIE
woodie
There was an Article not long ago that Immigrants in Detention Centres cost 5 Billion Dollars per year just for phone calls home. Just think of how many of poorer Australians could be helped by that amount. Pensioners struggle all their life and pay taxes only to be overlooked time and again, It's time the Government learnt to get it's priorities right. It saddens me that Australians have to go without for those who shouldn't even be here..
woodie
There was an Article not long ago that Immigrants in Detention Centres cost 5 Billion Dollars per year just for phone calls home. Just think of how many of poorer Australians could be helped by that amount. Pensioners struggle all their life and pay taxes only to be overlooked time and again, It's time the Government learnt to get it's priorities right. It saddens me that Australians have to go without for those who shouldn't even be here..
noneck
the problem with the government is that they cant keep up with the amount of people retiring and the money in the coffers the poor old pensioner has to find part time work or stay in the workforce i am 61 next birthday and would love to retire but the accountant says 81 is a good time to have enough to live on and remain in the same style i am in we work most of use for 50years and pay our taxes and then dumped on the scrap heap.
Kitty999
Not if you live in private rental. My rent takes up about 75% of my pension. Rental Assistance is only increased by about $2 in year while my rent is put up by at least $10 per year.
stretch
no way aspecially with the last price rise on all australians with the cost of living
pensioners are know better of to not own there own homes with land rates electricity water bills and food and dont forget the medications they need there is no money left for them to go out travel or to bank
the pensioner are the people that have worked hard and are payed less than a lot of people
i personally know of one 89 year old female that still works and for little money but she loves it also states she could not live without the extra money and the tax man stll finds her every year
the governemt is determoned to make it as hard for pensioners as possible and the next generation will find it harder than the former one did with the unemployment people being threatened to revoke all unemployembnt
it is just a matter of time till they remove it all
ant
no i think that what the government give old aged pensioners is discrascful..since my pop passed and my nan is still with us..it has become clear to me that living on as little as 400 a fortnite is REDICULOUS SHAME ON OUR GOVERNMENT old age people deserve to live just as comfy as politicians n how dare the government try and turn there back on them
truck
Well No - age pensioners do not receive enough today. I am in the middle age bracket didn't have super when I started work and now only have a small super account due to it's introduction. My mother aged 82 can't get a pension due to having owned (previously) and worked occasionally till 80. The business was given to her eldest son but the government states she still owns it so is unable to get the pension. I see how hard it is for them to cope with everyday things. I help out when and where I can so by the time I can retire ( now having to work till I'm 67) I will have very little to go on as they force me to be a self funded retire.
frilly
Who was that man who lived on the aged pension for a week and showed Julia Gillard it was almost impossible to live on it? He was famous for selling things on TV and of pensioner age himself now. He did it before the last budget and then asked her would she therefor do something for the pensioners. Julia Gillard told him to wait and see what the Budget would do????
We started off Retirement as Self-funded Retirees, thinking we had been clever and lucky to have been able to put money away. We have lost so much in the last few years we are now on a part mention. That can go up and down from fortnight to fortnight just because our investments may move. This seems to make sense except we do not get more each fortnight as money in our bank and soon all our money will be used and we will be on a full pension.
Our money moving up and down as it does we never know if we are going to be up or down $5 or whatever and that makes a huge difference to you when you are really stretching your money.
Ww thought we would be able to have overseas holidays etc but they are not in our realm now our money with the best of advice disappearing because of the World Economy.
It is made worse because I am disabled and need lots of medicines and at times hospital stays. My husband has paid enormous sums in tax in the past. That was to help for this time in our lives but we are being told over and over we are using the Younger Generations money. Who has used ours? LOL
paradox
Hi frilly, I am doing something to change this sorry state of affairs. In a few weeks I will send you and all the people that are interested a web address. We together will change the way we are being treated at the next election. IT'S TIME!!!
43beans55
not paid enough.govt get real
mrsdaffy
As a disability pensioner, I can tell you we dont get enough money and it is worse for me as my pension goes on my husbands wage. Centrelink works in GROSS.
We dont see the tax money to spend on food etc. The government talks about tax cuts for pensioners, OMG we dont need talk, we need $$$ in our hand to pay bills, buy food and it would be great to buy stuff we need.
When you compare what the government says the average weekly wage is compared to a week of pension, the difference is so great, it is like comparing the size of USA to Australia. There are elderly pensioners out there who cant afford electricity so they turn it off. some cant afford proper food. Is this what J, Gillard wants the world to see, how she treats the elderly and other pensioners.
We do need more money but I dont see us getting as much as the average waye.
Annie
I do think we could do with a bit extra money, it is very hard to pay the utility bills, we are unable to do anything much for entertainment these days, as it is too expensive to go out. So we just have to enjoy staying home and watching telly, then we can have our heating or cooling for compfort.
the minmum wage sounds great, but that will never happen.
thanks
anne nelson
marg
Having to rely on a disability pension having been injured through work which was no fault of mine working in aged care can now no longer work as no ne will employ me as i would be a liability and my age is also a barrier and also on very heave medication ,we do not get enough to survive on I do without a lot of fresh fruit and veg even though am sharing with another person also on a disability it is the only way we survive by pooling the money for bille etc. I cannot save and have had to use a fair amount of my supperannuation to get by. If the polticians had to live on the meager money they give us they would just see exactly how hard it is to survive .I do not smoke and dont drink all that much either and dont gamble very rarly do i go out and dont drive my car to far because of the petrol expense .Where I live it is inconvenient to go without a car when you have to do the shopping ,as for heating have not used it this winter ,if the carbon tax comes in thanks to Julia Gillard I would like to see her get a wage reduction along with all the other politicians and get them to live in reality .I have paid my taxes all my life up to last financial year and am not a bludger would love to continue working but cant do.You cant work if the noone will employ you .I am at the stage where I am starting to go into depression and am frustrated by all the politicians who say you have to work it is ok for an abled body to do so so come on government be realistic if it is at all possible
billy tiger2010
hi ,, my name is billy ,, i am a carer and have been a carer for over 6 years now ,, i would love to see the goverenment make all pensioners GST exempt on most of the products ,, like the power ,, water ,, phone bills ,, etc ,, this would make life easier for them and give them that little extra to get through their daily lives ,, that is what i think would make life easiers for pensioners ,, billy
Raksha
My husband and I have been on the pension for a few years now. We had our own business and had to give it up through ill health. We had very little super, just enough to buy a reasonable second hand car, and pay some off our Mortgage.
We manage by budgeting every cent of the pension. We live in a rural area and only shop once a fortnight. Our car runs on LPG and Petrol, so that helps with the cost of fuel. We have to travel 200k round trip to do our shopping. We grow what we can to supliment our food. Veges, chooks, eggs, etc.
It is annoying when you hear of these people on over $100,000 a year complaining about the cost of everything, but I have always believed that you live your life to what you receive.
kathy77
No I do not believe that we receive enough money on the Pensions especially the elderly as when you get older you need more medication than you normally would and if they go into nursing homes then the nursing home take so much money that it is not fair at all. You are right that the aged pensioners fought for our country and as well paid a lot more money back to the taxation dept than what they do now as my husband had to pay back nearly $30,000 after retiring and he had already paid taxes on the money. This year alone we have not been able to turn the heater on and look at the weather the last couple of days here in Sydney alone.
TimsGirl
Firstly I think it's awful what the government does to aged pensioners - the men have worked all their lives in paid jobs, and the women have worked (often even harder) in unpaid work first as mums, then as unpaid childcare as grandmothers with lots of volunteer work in between. Aged pensioners can't afford to live - and at least many own their own house and have a little bit of savings, or at the very least, household goods.
Spare a thought for the disability pensioners - they have NOT had a chance to work and buy a house or a car, to buy furniture for their houses (usually get by on second hand goods that belong in the dump). And those who became carers for family members when they were young, before they had a chance to work much.
And then there are the forgotten pensioners - the single parents of young children who get paid much less than other pensioners, and the single parents of children aged 8-17 who aren't even allowed a pension - instead they are forced onto the dole and everything that comes with it including getting their payment cut off if they refuse to take a job that has hours where there are no childcare, and if they do find a suitable job, praying constantly that their children never get sick as it's illegal to leave a child under 12 at home without an adult (and so it should be) but what can single parents do when they have a sick child and their boss will fire them if they take a day off?
I'm in the situation where I am on a disability pension and a single parent to a special needs child (with a deadbeat exhusband who tooks years to pay any child support and only pays just over the minimum of $12.76 a fortnight - like that will make a huge difference to the cost of raising a child NOT). Most of my medications are not covered on PBS, so I live in constant pain and ill-health as I can't afford most of the medications I need to take - and the rest I have only been able to afford by years of living on credit - hence why I'm facing bankruptcy with a credit card debt that is bigger than my yearly pre-tax income. I cannot find even a half decent bulkbillking GP, nor any new GP that is willing to prescribe the mega strong meds I need to take just to be able to half function.
I had to wait years to get into an orthopaedic specialist while my body disintegrated as private specialists cost the earth, and public specialists take years to get into even if you are labelled category 2 (semi urgent - ie need help urgently but not life threateningly so) - and even when you finally get in, it takes years to get tests and surgery, and if they botch the surgery, years more to get it corrected etc. If my initial problem had been treated promptly, while I'd still be "disabled", I'd have 90% movement instead of 10%, and moderate pain instead of pain so severe it's off the scale - and it wouldn't have spread to other parts of my body and caused other serious problems. I can't do much about my rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, but if my injuries had been operated on promptly, I wouldn't be riddled with severe osteoarthritis, have a heap more serious injuries from falls as a direct result of the original injury, I wouldn't be bloated and overweight from a combination of taking two dozen meds every day and not being able to exercise because of pain, and diabetic as a direct result of gaining weight from a med i wouldn't need to take except for complications of my original injury taking years to get seen bya specialist.
In addition to physical health problems, I have gone without counselling myself after years of being abused from my violent exhusband (was stuck staying with him while I fought centrelink for four years just to get my pension approved), because that was the only way I was able to afford a psychologist to help with my daughter's autism.
And there have been many times I've gone hungry because I could not afford to feed my daughter and to buy food for myself that I'm actually able to eat (I have serious food intolerances to things like lactose, gluten etc).
Even though I am well aware it will put me in a wheelchair before my daughter finishes school, I've had to return to work part time simply to keep paying the rent, buying food, and buying the meds I'll die without and enough painkillers to take on the days I work - and for the most part, most months paying the interest on the massive debt i've accumulated from borrowing what the pension didn't cover in necessities. But it's still not enough to make ends meet, and I'm facing bankruptcy long before this year finishes.
I've cut back on everything - meds I need to make my pain bearable (doesn't take it away mind you, just drops it from being a 10 on a scaled of 1-10 to maybe an 8 on a good day), had my daughter quit the gym program she was doing to strengthen up her low muscle tone (which of course is now causing problems with her schooling because she is constantly feeling weak), I am back to waiting years to get back into see a public orthopaedic specialist (i think I've been waiting around 4 years now), and when I do get back in, I'll be waiting more years to get surgery on the arm I smashed up falling because the leg I was waiting for surgery gave away (as it did many times) and I'm constantly sick because I can't afford food that i'm not intolerant to.
And as for heating... I do have a heater but often can't afford to run it. Even though the cold cripples me because of the arthritis, it's a luxury I cannot afford.
I am 31 by the way.... before I was injured 10 years ago, despite suffering from the rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, I was able to earn enough to support myself and my then husband, but two injures a year apart (and not being able to access public specialists and then surgery for years) destroy my life.
My now-ex husband stole everything I earnt and blew it on drugs, ran up great debts in my name, and then we were forced to escape his violence. With no child support for years andthe little we get now being a pathetic joke, I cannot make ends meet on my pension and no one will lend me any more.
Working two half days a week is literally killing me, piece by piece. At best, I'll be able to keep it up til my daughter starts high school in 18 months, but after that, once i am in a wheelchair, I wont' be able to continue my job, and what then?
The pension might be enough to support people like sister - people who live at home, and their disability not actually cost anything to treat - I know several people like that - my sister has chronic fatigue but only needs to take a couple PBS meds and no doctors costs, i have friend who is legally blind but needs no meds or treatments or doctors, and i have another friend who is intellectually disabled and again has no meds, treatments or doctors - you know what is ridiculous?
these people live with their parents, pay no rent or board, have very little or no medical costs, no dependent children AND YET THEY GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY as someone who has massive medical costs, pay rent, need special food and have dependent children to support. In fact the only difference in what they get is the pathetic family tax benefit of around $100 a week that nearly all parents get, whether they are single or partnered, poor or up to moderately rich - and anything single parents get in the way of (usually pathetically small) child support, is take from the family tax benefit so you're no better off - the only difference is it's the ex paying it instead of the government which doesn't help the children any.
So yeah, there are some people who can make ends meet on the pension - if they are single, live their parents, have no children and little to no medical costs, but for us pensioners out in the real world, the pension is a poor pathetic joke.
soss
Hi chips48, I am on a disability pension but, My parents are finding it very hard on the aged pension, as do I on my pension, & it has me very worried as I know the aged pension is nowhere near to what I get now, My parents had to sell their home & downgrade to a retirement villiage, & live in this VERY SMALL house, where all the neighbours can hear just about everything, as well as that they DON'T own the land their house is built on & still have to pay @ least $100.00 a week for their share of renting the land, plus if the people that own the retirement villiage ever decide to sell up I don't know what they will do, as they won't get much for their tiny house.
I DO NOT own my own home & I can't see that I ever will, unless I win lotto & I don't think that will ever happen, as I can't afford to play lotto. I DO AGREE with you that pensioners SHOULD get @ least the minimum wage, & as you say, the way electricity prices are rising (along with everything else, IE: FOOD, PETROL, CLOTHES ETC) NO PENSIONER will be able to afford to do anything @ all.
I know My parents don't ring anybody unless it's very urgent because they can't afford the phone bill, I have a plan where I don't pay for any phone calls within Australia, except for mobile phones, & my bill is big enough, I live in the same state as my parents, BUT, I'm in Sydney & they are on the Central Coast.
YES I DO AGREE TOTALLY WITH YOU, ALL PENSIONERS SHOULD BE LOOKED AFTER BY THE GOVERNMENT, Instead of giving themselves HUGE pay rises all the time, I think they should look after us, & make sure none of us has to ever choose between having a meal or keeping warm when it's absolutley FREEZING.
I wish you all the good luck you deserve my friend.
max
I have been saving for a long time But I went bankrupt So i don't have any supo
to top up my pension when I retire in 2 month time I had to cancelled all insurance health and medical Insurance I know 2 can live cheaper than one however the pension is out of wrack .there is so many hand outs to day its no wonder the pension get so little as the government delivered less % each time there is an increase to fit there social ideas I should not have extra to throw around such as betting poker machines etc. But not to have anything left to spend on myself is far from fair
freemon
If lots of pensioner stop going to club and playing poker then they can efort every thing they want. i know a person who go to overseas every six month with his opensioner allowance. another one is living in overseas like a millionier and he come back t oAust only every six motnh just to show of at centrelink. those two are only getting allwance only no other income what so ever. you can judge your self
dougo
Freemon
I think that if a person whether they are in receipt of a pension or not, is entitled to do what they like with whatever money they have.
Through some voluntary work I did for several months at an aged / disabled day care facility, I met many people - all on government pensions - who were living in rented housing and relied on the centre for their main meal at lunch time. Many of them could not afford medical treatment and many did without a lot of things that politicians on their Golden Handshake and Free Travel take for granted.
I would really like to see each politician try to live on a government pension for a month in the same conditions ... until then, I doubt that we will see any change at all.
The politicians are so far removed from reality that they can't understand a simple issue that a pension of less than $600 per fortnight per person is too hard to live on.
Strange how one of the newer NSW politicians recently said he can't live on $150,000 pa yet doesn't even think to wonder how DSP and Aged Pensioners survive on their meagre ration.
freemon
If lots of pensioner stop going to club and playing poker then they can efort every thing they want. i know a person who go to overseas every six month with his opensioner allowance. another one is living in overseas like a millionier and he come back t oAust only every six motnh just to show of at centrelink. those two are only getting allwance only no other income what so ever. you can judge your self
anna
Have you seen the money that goes overseas? Interesting to find out what it is spent on!
anna
A lot of pensioners who are on here are genuinely hurting after reading all their posts! They have battled all their lives to get ahead & live decent fruitful lives bringing up families, but it does not matter at the end of the day, the groceries have gone up, the heating has gone up, water meters, rents, rates, transport, phone, everything has! These things have not gone up gradually but at the same time. This is the reason for battling, only a few do poker machines not all. I do not judge! Everybody is entitled to a day out! Hopefully one day soon the pollies think with their brain & offer the battlers an increase like they have, maybe donate their increase [said with tongue in cheek]
ozziedigger
I,and many others,have done everything I could do for Australia because I love Australia,the country I mean,not the leaders.I served in VietNam for Aus.After my return,I started a business and employed several workers and paid too much tax.20 years later I went bust and lost the lot and gained very bad health.
What I`m leading up to,after to much wingeing is the terrible disregard,inefficiency
and ignorance by the Govt.as to the elderly,their health,housing,pension and
difficulties.
It used to be that people power could and should rule countries.People power these days is total concentration on next weeks pay packet and "I`m all right Jack"
Someone mentioned asylum seeker costs,that is the tip of our problems
flossbloss
WHERE IS MY REPLY??
gone fishing
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules.
flossbloss
WHERE IS MY REPLY??
flossbloss
I agree with all of the above. Why doesn't Ms Guillard show leadership in this area & having presumably survived on a pension only for an extended period of time DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT - WITHOUT THE USUAL MILES & YEARS OF BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE!?
CAT17
Gosh reading the comments certainly is worrying to think there are so many who cant even turn a heater on! What has happened to this country? Seems there is no place for the old, the needy or the sick. I thought we paid taxes so that the government would use those taxes to take care of those who need caring for. You are right when you say we paid our taxes and even paid into super, but really the way everything is so exspensive no matter how well you prepared for retirement the money you thought you would have to live on comfortably just is not enough. We are partially self funded, so have only a partial pension which allows us a Concession card. Just as well we have that as my husband got sick a few years ago and I can tell you the first couple of years nearly killed us financially as we werent old enough to qualify for the pension. The cost of illness is crippling. Do you think for one moment the government is too worried about the seniors or the sick?? This government is too busy giving away money to foreign countries, making sure ayslum seekers are comfortable and spending or rather wasting money on projects that just have not benefitted anyone. God bless those of you who are facing tough times ,my heart goes out to you.
Loopie
I suppose we are meant to be grateful for the help we get, but they get a better go in the prisons, at least they get 3 good meals a day. What we need in government is a pensioner, who understands how the real people live. Even people on a minimum wage are finding it tough, and they get almost double the pension.
Loopie
I suppose we are meant to be grateful for the help we get, but they get a better go in the prisons, at least they get 3 good meals a day. What we need in government is a pensioner, who understands how the real people live. Even people on a minimum wage are finding it tough, and they get almost double the pension.
Loopie
Of course the pension is not enough. We have a mortgage, and are both on disability pensions with no prospect of improvement. I can't afford the prescriptions for pain relief, and also cannot afford to use the heater.
Life becomes and endless cycle of budgeting to pay bills. I don't think anyone lives on a pension, they barely survive.
Leelita
I never did get that top box!!! Id rather the $30! lol
paradox
Hey Loopie, don't you know that you are supposed to be grateful for the meagre amount you receive every fortnight? Don't you think you should applaud Labour for giving you a Set Top Box that you probably already have? And should you also not be grateful that you have worked all your life and have helped build this country so we can spoil our prisoners and illegal arrivals? Are you not the least bit grateful to receive anything at all? Life certainly isn't fair is it? Tell your local Member of Parliament where he/she can stick their box, preferably sideways!!!
Steve49
Yes and being on a disability pension I have to pay people to do things that I used to be able to do myself. Thanks to flak jacket johnnie even this now costs me more because of the G-et S-everely T-axed.
seesaw
I agree with chips48,I'm an pensioner,of 76 years of age,and I too thought that after paying taxes,all my working life that the Government,would look after me.
I have all types of arthritus,but can't afford to use a heater to keep warm,I use a rug and hot water bottle,also living in Government Housing,every time the pension goes up,so does our rent,out of the last rise of $13s,my rent went up over $10s,they give with one hand and take back with the other.I like it better,the way Mr Howard gave us a bonus a few times a year,Housing couldn't touch it and you had something to look forward to for emergencies.I don't know how we will all cope ,if this carbon tax gets through.
Toni
Oh my dear Chips48! Your situation sounds so very difficult, painful and stressful. Surely you are eligible for some sort of home help? I used to work for a service many years ago as a domestic help. Sometimes the work was temporary while a client was recovering from an operation, sometimes it was permanent. Please, can you ask your doctor if he/she can authorise you to get domestic help? I'm amazed that this hasn't already been offered to people in your situation. One of my aunts has a cleaning lady once a fortnight, another aunt has a cleaning lady, another lady to help her shower, and another who takes her shopping. Both aunts are pensioners. As far as I know, it's free. At least if you could get a service like that, it would be some help. The Government has many services - surely there is something for you and your husband? Try looking up HACCS. My heart goes out to you. I wish you both the best.
chips48
I don't know how you manage, seesaw. We thankfully own our own home, but of course we still have council rates and all the other costs that coming with being a home owner to pay for. Also, we both have a lot of health problems which are considered life threatening, so we have had to keep our private health cover going or we would have no quality of life at all. At present I am recovering from 2 foot operations in 6 months after which I developed stress fractures in another part of my foot. If we hadn't had private health cover, we really don't know what we would have done. We would have been waiting for years to get something done about it, and I was already unable to walk before the operations and my husband had to do eveything. Now, because of the complications, he still has to do everything and help me with bathing and other things as well. The government really have no idea how hard it is for us all to cope on the pittance we get.
Steve49
Heater, what's a heater? I agree with chips. Our income tax was supposed to pay for our pensions. If I received the minimum wage I'd consider myself rich, thats how bad the pensions have become compared to wages. I think I get half the minimum wage but I'm not sure what the minimum wage is now.
paradox
Yes chips48, I think "IT'S TIME" and I do hope that us oldies can actually change this sorry state of affairs. I used to respect my elders and help whenever and however I could. Ahhhh, the good old day's.
Steve49
Sorry Chips, it won't work. They'll just think whinging pensioners and ignore us completely as they have always done.
chips48
Hi, Boysie. I agree with you. To be on the minimum wage would be wonderful, because it's certainly a lot more than we get. Do you think it would be a good idea to start getting all our friends and families to bombard our local politicians asking them to tell us how they would manage on the pittance they give us.
19chris51
Iam on disability support, the same money, heater, whats a heater, I use a blanket
chips48
That is not true, and I think you should check your facts before you make statements like that. If anything, you are the one who is racist. It works both ways, don't forget. These people can find enough money to pay the owners of the boats, then they get here and are given 3 hot meals a day, clothing, health care, and all the community support they need and more, and we can't even afford to eat 3 meals a day. We get no help from the community, even though we are both disabled, and now I am recoving from breast cancer surgery, with 3 months of chemotherapy, 2 months of radiotherapy and 5 years of hormone therapy ahead of me. God knows how we are going to afford to get to and from the hospital for all the treatments and tests ahead of us with the cost of petrol the way it is. So, help should begin at home before we start dishing it out to all the people overseas. Let their own governments look after them.
Bigfoot
You've won me Anna, Let's keep our money in Australia and let the others work for theirs like we had to.
19chris51
Hwedd I take it you do not agree, that the Ausralian Government should not look after ther own first, well guess what , a lot of us are on low incomes and we would appreciate that it is understood, I am nt complaining as such, but if you can not look after your own!!!!!!!!!!! so yes LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN FIRST, I`m sure that myself and others do treat people as we would like to be treated, but if we, as people who served our country etc, feel un looked after WTF.......................I`m just saying too, my oinion, freecountry I think!!!
Anonymous
"Look after your own first" Really? Have you ever heard "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" . Just sayin
Anonymous
Do you realise that these *legal (not illegal because they are seeking asylum) immigrants earn $200 fortnightly less than pensioners. Also if we "spear them back to where they come from!" they will most likely be slaughtered by there own government.
P.s. Your an oblivious racist :)
tam
The towel I not a pensioners but still going down with the ship. I use a blanket and layers how can afford the bill heating is just out of the question.
When you look at it they are looking ofter their own, they have sacked many and cutting so much that low income are needing and creating many more low income people. HOW ELSE CAN THEY AFFORD THEIR NICE BIG PAY PACKETS. SO YOU SEE THEY ARE LOOKING AFTER THEIR OWN AND THAT IS THEMSELVES!!!! HOW NICE FOR THEM what a shame for the Australia.
anna
Pauline got a raw deal! People were too scared to vote for her! Do not live that far up, but believe in giving everybody a fair go! I will be voting liberal as soon as Julia & Bob remove their butts! Sooner the better, no respect for those who do not respect their constituents!
paradox
Hi anna, yes I am in Brisbane. I'm getting to know my neighbours and am about to join the local Neighbourhood Watch as a way to get acquainted. I am also reading a book about Pauline Hanson and how she got really badly treated. I am a member of the Country Liberals in the Northern Territory and have some good knowledge how political parties work. My wife and I are looking like minded people. Cheers and stay in touch
anna
Never boring to listen to other people's stories about their lives, makes one appreciate what we have. Life sucks at times, there are so many shops shut & that is sad, should not happen here at all, need more support from those on the hill. Blow the illegal immigrants & all support given to them, they had $25,000 to get here, turf them in a boat & spear them back to where they come from! Deliberately get rid of their papers, I am fed up to the teeth with ruddy do gooders & this pathetic government! My husband & I have written to all & sundry re the help needed for our genuine Aussie battlers, NEVER a reply! Also about the boat people never a spoken word just an automated reply! If you went for a seat in government, you sound like what we need there, I would give you total support! Are you in Qld? We need good honest farmers, housewives, everyday workers, NOT the silverspooners, sick to death of the disrespect we, the voters get from these airheaded d'heads! Also stop any type of money to former PM's! Up the Battlers! Time we looked into what we can do for the battlers! IT IS TIME!!
paradox
Anna, you are so right, and I for one am writing a book about my family and our life. I am on this site due to the fact that I was made redundant without redundancy pay after setting up a successful business for a "friend". Once the business was up and running my "friend" done the dirty on me and I even had to go to arbitration to get my 2 weeks notice paid. Anyhow, I did not have enough super for anything and rely on the old age pension and I need the money from these surveys. In the late 80's I built up a business with my life savings and poured all profits back into it. I employed more than 20 workers and paid all of them above award wages with all the benefits. I neglected to look after my own benefits, hoping that my business would look after me in my old age. Labour won government and within 2 years my business was ruined through government interference. My wife and I through necessity live with our single mum daughter and just keep our heads above water by dipping into what remains of our super. We are slowly coming to the end of those savings and if for some reason we will no longer be able to stay at our daughters place, we will not be able to find suitable rental accommodation of our own. It bothers us greatly that we have worked hard all of our lives, never took a cent from government, paid large amounts of taxes (both personal and company tax) and have to live from pension payment to pension payment. I cannot work physically any longer as I need both hips, and a knee replaced and my lower spine fused. Waiting time is 4 to 5 years and I rather think that I meet the undertaker before that happens. Yes I think that government treats the very people that gave this country its wealth with such disdain and contempt. It is time that we of the GREYPOWER unite and make our voice heard in every corridor of Parliament House. ITS TIME!!!! I am sorry if I have bored you with my tale but I am sure that 70% of pensioners feel that way.
anna
Totally, if the pollies could just see their way into admitting there is a problem & sorting it. If they start to give then it makes us better off & we can share again like we used to. It makes the world a nicer place. It is all give & take, but the pollies need to get out of the habit if they give it is take, too. I love sharing what I learn. If it helps somebody, that is great. In life if we learn just something in a day, we are rich, but good health is a bonus & if we were given just a little more how great it would be! I will not hold my breath! [When we were bringing our families up we should have written all our recipes & tips down, the book we could have written would be worth it's weight in gold]
19chris51
I so agree with you,thankyou for the tip about the towel, what a brilliant idea, I will be trying that out, and though I undrestand that you are not being smart, it was great and smart thar you shared that with us all, and very helpful, my motto is LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN FIRSTand FOREMOST , when thats done and done properly then think of others, and only then. PITY THATS NOT WHAT THEY DO
anna
I am not being smart but found a towel in the bed or over the knees under the blanket keeps me warm & I have less cramp. Learnt that in hospital. I defy a pollie to live on what they "donate" to the pensioners. We have worked hard & battled hard & were taxed hard so what is this pittance?? What goes overseas is criminal & what is given to the refugees is the same. Look after our own before we GIVE HAND OUTS OF MILLIONS to others!
chips48
Thanks, 19chris51. I appreciate your response. Why don't we all start flooding our local politicians with requests for more funds, or invite them to come and live on what we have to manage with, not just for a week, but for a month or two. We could get our families to start emailing the politicians too.
little-patty
no i do not think that they get enough for today's cost
marlu
I live on a disability pension, After rent is taken out I live on 551 dollars a fortnight. This equals to 225.10 a fortnight. This has to pay for utilities ,groceries ,transport and if you are lucky to be able to go to the movies The Disability Pension is the same as the Aged Pension I have learnt to be frugal and have a budget. Pensions should be equal to a wage. I have a friend who cannot manage on the pension with all the high living costs so she has been forced out of her rental and living with another friend to help share the costs of living Our pension went up which is a help.
JIBIE
hello im on a disability pension , I feel that pensions do not get enough, as they should, most have worked all there lives payed there taxes, a lot have lost there superannuation when the howerd government brought in that you have to get your own, then came up with baby bonuses, as a lot of young and old took advantage ot this having a baby just to get the bonus, also they took away the apprenticeship that you have to get it, as it was once compulsory , you got a job and the employer had to place you into an apprenticeship, also I cannot see why the government don't just give initiative's to business that do research in cutting carbon, and to those who don't try let them pay a carbon tax, and lets face it there are more and more young just been lazy because of the dole, its suppose to be a softy net, to find work may be the answer is vouchers for food electric, gas rent, what ever is left supply cash for transport.
chips48
Thanks, little-patty. I'm glad you agree. It's a pity the government didn't. I think it would be great if all the pensioners, and their family members, were to email their local politicians and get them to force Julia Gillard to do something about it. The small amount they are talking about compensating us for the carbon tax won't even cover the cost of the food prices we've already had lately, and the power and water, let alone for the extra costs that are to come if they pass the carbon tax legislation.