Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Brockman. This is a very important point. The government's policy will indeed provide more support to Australians of age pension age who are part pensioners and self-funded retirees. This change will benefit, for the first time, pensioners of age pension age who currently receive the maximum rate and cannot access the existing scheme. It will also allow self-funded retirees, who are precluded from the existing Pension Loans Scheme due to both the pension income test and the assets test, to apply for a loan. Pension-rate age pensioners and self-funded retirees with an existing loan will also be able to increase it up to the new amount. This is another way that the Turnbull government is delivering for older Australians.