Post by Banker on May 10, 2012 7:14:31 GMT 7
OLDER Australians have missed out on their slice of the mining boom pie in Wayne Swan's budget, a leading seniors group says.
And the government's decision to halve the time a pensioner can spend overseas before losing their $30 a week supplement was "mean-spirited", National Seniors said yesterday.
But aged-care reforms and a package of measures to assist mature age workers back into jobs were worthy budget measures, as was $500 million to reduce dental waiting lists, said National Seniors chief executive Michael O'Neill.
Mr O'Neill said families with children had been in the government's focus, and not older Australians doing it tough.
"A boom dividend would have been welcome relief for over-70s on low fixed incomes who are quietly feeling the strain of rising health and utility prices," Mr O'Neill said.
As for reducing from 13 weeks to six the time age pensioners can spend overseas before losing their supplement, he said "it's rather mean-spirited".
"More than the dent on small incomes, this measure will influence how much time people who've spent years in the workforce or raising children can spend on that trip of a lifetime."
Council of the Ageing Australia chief executive Ian Yates agreed the budget spending on aged care was welcome, but some of the changes to the superannuation regime would hit older Australians disproportionately.
"The (aged-care) reform package is a big step in the right direction with major increases in home care, dementia support (and) more flexible support services . . . plus providing a kickstart to increased wages for an underpaid workforce," Mr Yates said.
"(But) it falls short in maintaining the rationing of care, not giving people the right to manage their own support services," he said.
Mr Yates said the government's move to generate savings by changing its commitment on superannuation was unfair.
"We are upset that the higher cap of $50,000 for people over 50 with less than $500,000 in super will cut out at June 30 this year (reverting to $25,000) and its resumption has been deferred to July 1, 2014.
"This will upset the retirement plans of thousands of people nearing retirement age.
"It is unfair and the government should make it up to them when the higher cap resumes."
Budget measures that received endorsement included funding for an advisory panel on positive ageing and an improved bowel screening program. Groups expressed concern about the shelving of a budget measure from two years ago that provided a 50 per cent personal tax discount for interest income.
They also noted there was no funding for affordable housing for seniors, which the Advisory Panel on the economic potential of senior Australians described as a major crisis.
www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/treasury/boom-bypasses-older-folk-doing-it-tough/story-fndbwnla-1226351389095
And the government's decision to halve the time a pensioner can spend overseas before losing their $30 a week supplement was "mean-spirited", National Seniors said yesterday.
But aged-care reforms and a package of measures to assist mature age workers back into jobs were worthy budget measures, as was $500 million to reduce dental waiting lists, said National Seniors chief executive Michael O'Neill.
Mr O'Neill said families with children had been in the government's focus, and not older Australians doing it tough.
"A boom dividend would have been welcome relief for over-70s on low fixed incomes who are quietly feeling the strain of rising health and utility prices," Mr O'Neill said.
As for reducing from 13 weeks to six the time age pensioners can spend overseas before losing their supplement, he said "it's rather mean-spirited".
"More than the dent on small incomes, this measure will influence how much time people who've spent years in the workforce or raising children can spend on that trip of a lifetime."
Council of the Ageing Australia chief executive Ian Yates agreed the budget spending on aged care was welcome, but some of the changes to the superannuation regime would hit older Australians disproportionately.
"The (aged-care) reform package is a big step in the right direction with major increases in home care, dementia support (and) more flexible support services . . . plus providing a kickstart to increased wages for an underpaid workforce," Mr Yates said.
"(But) it falls short in maintaining the rationing of care, not giving people the right to manage their own support services," he said.
Mr Yates said the government's move to generate savings by changing its commitment on superannuation was unfair.
"We are upset that the higher cap of $50,000 for people over 50 with less than $500,000 in super will cut out at June 30 this year (reverting to $25,000) and its resumption has been deferred to July 1, 2014.
"This will upset the retirement plans of thousands of people nearing retirement age.
"It is unfair and the government should make it up to them when the higher cap resumes."
Budget measures that received endorsement included funding for an advisory panel on positive ageing and an improved bowel screening program. Groups expressed concern about the shelving of a budget measure from two years ago that provided a 50 per cent personal tax discount for interest income.
They also noted there was no funding for affordable housing for seniors, which the Advisory Panel on the economic potential of senior Australians described as a major crisis.
www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/treasury/boom-bypasses-older-folk-doing-it-tough/story-fndbwnla-1226351389095