Post by Banker on Feb 6, 2012 16:42:10 GMT 7
MORE than half of our older South Australians do not have enough money to live comfortably in their retirement years, the 2011 Sunday Mail SA reader survey has found.
The survey of 2019 people across the state - conducted online in November and December - reveals 56.5 per cent of respondents aged over 55 are struggling just to cover basic living expenses.
Electricity bills top the list of financial pressures, with 80 per cent admitting it is a primary concern, followed closely by water bills (67 per cent).
See all the SA Survey results here
The poll was carried out over 24 days and asked 50 questions on a variety of topics concerning our state, lifestyles and views. Issues affecting older South Australians were among the strongest results, with findings including:
ALMOST three in four older residents from the northern suburbs (73 per cent) believe they do not have enough money to live comfortably compared with 64 per cent in the western suburbs, 60 per cent in the southern suburbs, 39 per cent in the east and 53 per cent in rural areas;
MORE than 40 per cent list failing health as their greatest fear of growing older, followed by losing their partner (27 per cent);
A QUARTER of retirees left the workforce because of health reasons; and
MORE than 40 per cent believe the elderly are treated worse than younger people by staff in shops.
Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates said the results reflected the growing number of pensioners whose quality of life was slipping as they struggled to keep on top of rising utility costs.
"We are hearing from emergency welfare agencies that they're beginning to see more older people coming to them because they can't pay a significant bill," he said.
"What we have found is when pensioners can't meet their bills, they have a very strong ethic to pay the bills so they cut back on food, transport, going out - and I don't mean to the theatre or dinner but just basic social activities, and they also cut back on health costs.
"We think the pension is still too low for our current society and ought to be increased.
"We also think the State Government has an obligation to increase concessions.
"It's of grave concern to us that these essential services are increasing at such a rate with no compensation in terms of concessions."
UnitingCare Wesley advocacy and communication manager Mark Henley said mounting electricity and water costs had been hitting elderly people particularly hard because they were on fixed incomes.
"Their incomes aren't going up at the same rate as the cost of essential services, which is why there is stress," he said.
"Electricity has been going up at a much faster rate than inflation for a decade now and there was a really big hike in 2004 when the electricity market was privatised.
"While prices came down a fraction a couple of years after, the reality is electricity prices and water, to an extent, have just kept on going up and people do not see an end in sight.
"People are saying we've cut back on electricity use, we've done all the efficiency energy-saving stuff and we're still struggling to pay our bills - what hope do we have?"
Mr Henley said the results reflected a need for governments and banking institutions to revisit the superannuation scheme.
"Is it working and delivering benefits to middle and lower income households in their retirement or is it a process that has predominantly benefited our richer population," he said.
"The data is saying to me that we need to revisit superannuation and make it a bit fairer."
Social commentator David Chalke said issues facing our older South Australians were unique to the state because its population was ageing faster than the rest of the country.
"Therefore it is particularly important for policy-makers and businesses to take note of what these results are saying for the older population," he said.
"Are they worried about the future? Yes, of course they are when you have electricity prices going through the roof, water prices doing the same thing and council rates gouging you.
"These results don't surprise me and in SA you're going to feel it more acutely because you've got an ageing population and there's also a variety of economic factors.
"You don't have the boom that WA has got, or the vibrant young migrant population that Sydney and Melbourne have got, and you haven't got the growth that Queensland has."
monfriesa@sundaymail.com.au
goo.gl/0yf3H
The survey of 2019 people across the state - conducted online in November and December - reveals 56.5 per cent of respondents aged over 55 are struggling just to cover basic living expenses.
Electricity bills top the list of financial pressures, with 80 per cent admitting it is a primary concern, followed closely by water bills (67 per cent).
See all the SA Survey results here
The poll was carried out over 24 days and asked 50 questions on a variety of topics concerning our state, lifestyles and views. Issues affecting older South Australians were among the strongest results, with findings including:
ALMOST three in four older residents from the northern suburbs (73 per cent) believe they do not have enough money to live comfortably compared with 64 per cent in the western suburbs, 60 per cent in the southern suburbs, 39 per cent in the east and 53 per cent in rural areas;
MORE than 40 per cent list failing health as their greatest fear of growing older, followed by losing their partner (27 per cent);
A QUARTER of retirees left the workforce because of health reasons; and
MORE than 40 per cent believe the elderly are treated worse than younger people by staff in shops.
Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates said the results reflected the growing number of pensioners whose quality of life was slipping as they struggled to keep on top of rising utility costs.
"We are hearing from emergency welfare agencies that they're beginning to see more older people coming to them because they can't pay a significant bill," he said.
"What we have found is when pensioners can't meet their bills, they have a very strong ethic to pay the bills so they cut back on food, transport, going out - and I don't mean to the theatre or dinner but just basic social activities, and they also cut back on health costs.
"We think the pension is still too low for our current society and ought to be increased.
"We also think the State Government has an obligation to increase concessions.
"It's of grave concern to us that these essential services are increasing at such a rate with no compensation in terms of concessions."
UnitingCare Wesley advocacy and communication manager Mark Henley said mounting electricity and water costs had been hitting elderly people particularly hard because they were on fixed incomes.
"Their incomes aren't going up at the same rate as the cost of essential services, which is why there is stress," he said.
"Electricity has been going up at a much faster rate than inflation for a decade now and there was a really big hike in 2004 when the electricity market was privatised.
"While prices came down a fraction a couple of years after, the reality is electricity prices and water, to an extent, have just kept on going up and people do not see an end in sight.
"People are saying we've cut back on electricity use, we've done all the efficiency energy-saving stuff and we're still struggling to pay our bills - what hope do we have?"
Mr Henley said the results reflected a need for governments and banking institutions to revisit the superannuation scheme.
"Is it working and delivering benefits to middle and lower income households in their retirement or is it a process that has predominantly benefited our richer population," he said.
"The data is saying to me that we need to revisit superannuation and make it a bit fairer."
Social commentator David Chalke said issues facing our older South Australians were unique to the state because its population was ageing faster than the rest of the country.
"Therefore it is particularly important for policy-makers and businesses to take note of what these results are saying for the older population," he said.
"Are they worried about the future? Yes, of course they are when you have electricity prices going through the roof, water prices doing the same thing and council rates gouging you.
"These results don't surprise me and in SA you're going to feel it more acutely because you've got an ageing population and there's also a variety of economic factors.
"You don't have the boom that WA has got, or the vibrant young migrant population that Sydney and Melbourne have got, and you haven't got the growth that Queensland has."
monfriesa@sundaymail.com.au
goo.gl/0yf3H
