Kelly Hoare (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Like all members in this place, I had lots of contact with constituents following the budget about how it was going to affect them personally, and not very many of them had a favourable reaction. But there is a particular case that I want to raise with the minister during this opportunity today. I have already written the minister a letter but I have not had a response, so I am taking this opportunity to try and seek that response.

One of my constituents was concerned about the payment of the utilities allowance to age pensioners and self-funded retirees. She was concerned that the changes announced in the budget provided eligible individual self-funded retirees with access to the utilities allowance, whereas couples receiving the age pension were only entitled to one payment per couple, or per household. The budget speech stated that they would also share in—and I quote:

... an additional one-off payment equal to the annual amount of the utilities allowance of $102.80 to each household with a person of Age or Service Pension age eligible for that allowance.

In the same paragraph it stated:

A $102.80 payment will also be provided to each self-funded retiree who is eligible for Seniors Concession Allowance.

I received an answer to question No. 1921 from the Minister for Human Services in October last year, in which he said:

The social security system recognises that single pensioners need more income to have a similar standard of living to, and run a household like, couples. Couples gain economies and advantages from living together. Single people cannot usually share costs, such as electricity, telephone, heating and house maintenance.

My question to the minister is: is he able to advise why it is that self-funded retirees are paid the utilities allowance as individuals, irrespective of their couple status? I have already provided the minister at the table, the Minister for Community Services, with a copy of my question, if he wants to refer to that.

The couple who wrote to me outlined their own personal situation and what they have to pay out. They both rely on the age pension for their income, so they are not flush with funds. It seems to have been the direction taken by this government that the rich are rewarded and the poor are punished. My constituent recognises that self-funded retirees are helping the government by providing for their own retirement. She goes on to say:

Unfortunately, there are many people who, through circumstances and family situations, need to be assisted by our Commonwealth Government.

They just exist on their pension, as many pensioners do. Her question, as I said—and that is why I am directing it to the minister—is: why is each self-funded retiree receiving the entire amount of this payment while each pensioner household has to share the $102.80?

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