Post by Banjo on Nov 10, 2014 11:36:19 GMT 7
Thousands of struggling pensioners who lack computer skills cannot access a $217 subsidy for their electricity bills because they can only readily apply for it over the internet, a State Government MP says.
Almost 18 months after Energy Minister Mike Nahan announced the cost of living allowance payment would be made available to people living in retirement villages and apartments, it has emerged that only 4133 had applied for it.
The figure, revealed by the Department of Finance during a parliamentary estimates hearing, came despite expectations that between 15,000 and 25,000 people, including pensioners and veterans, would take it up.
Liberal MLC Peter Katsambanis said it appeared many people were either unaware of the subsidy or unable to take advantage of it because applications for it were primarily accessed over the internet.
"When my office asked to be given one of these forms, why were we unable after many, many, many, many inquiries to get a form such as this," he said.
"It strikes me as absurd that a concession directly targeted at pensioners in retirement villages who are the people most unlikely to have access to the internet and to online, email and the like would primarily be directed to apply for the concession online.
"As a concession targeted at retirement villages, I would have thought the primary way of getting to these people was a paper-based form so that they could use something that is familiar to them.
"And I would put it to you that that's probably one of the strongest explanations for the discrepancy between the estimated take-up and the actual take-up."
The department, which administers the scheme, stressed that people were able to apply for the payment in writing provided they called and asked for a form to be sent to their address.
Bill Sullivan, the agency's acting director general, also said that though some elderly people might not be particularly computer literate, many were.
"The other thing is someone within the village itself will actually go around and organise this on behalf of residents and will walk them through that, so it's not like each person is individually left there able to do it themselves or not," he said.
'Pensioners . . . are the people most unlikely to have access to the internet.' " Liberal MLC *Peter Katsambanis *
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Almost 18 months after Energy Minister Mike Nahan announced the cost of living allowance payment would be made available to people living in retirement villages and apartments, it has emerged that only 4133 had applied for it.
The figure, revealed by the Department of Finance during a parliamentary estimates hearing, came despite expectations that between 15,000 and 25,000 people, including pensioners and veterans, would take it up.
Liberal MLC Peter Katsambanis said it appeared many people were either unaware of the subsidy or unable to take advantage of it because applications for it were primarily accessed over the internet.
"When my office asked to be given one of these forms, why were we unable after many, many, many, many inquiries to get a form such as this," he said.
"It strikes me as absurd that a concession directly targeted at pensioners in retirement villages who are the people most unlikely to have access to the internet and to online, email and the like would primarily be directed to apply for the concession online.
"As a concession targeted at retirement villages, I would have thought the primary way of getting to these people was a paper-based form so that they could use something that is familiar to them.
"And I would put it to you that that's probably one of the strongest explanations for the discrepancy between the estimated take-up and the actual take-up."
The department, which administers the scheme, stressed that people were able to apply for the payment in writing provided they called and asked for a form to be sent to their address.
Bill Sullivan, the agency's acting director general, also said that though some elderly people might not be particularly computer literate, many were.
"The other thing is someone within the village itself will actually go around and organise this on behalf of residents and will walk them through that, so it's not like each person is individually left there able to do it themselves or not," he said.
'Pensioners . . . are the people most unlikely to have access to the internet.' " Liberal MLC *Peter Katsambanis *
dspoverseas.proboards.com/thread/new/2