Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food in your belly? Can you afford the internet? I'm doing OK, I've got all of the above.

Ph boy how everyone just loves to repeat the lie that two can live cheaper than one. It came about because of the following.

[b]Two singles paying rent say it to justify moving in together.[/b]



Nothing to stop a single moving in with another single.



Take out the rent which is the largest outlay and where an allowance is given for renting privately and is larger for singles than for a couple.



Or public housing where singles and couples pay 25% of their incomes which means the couples pay more rent than a single.



The measurement the government take is that you shouldn't have to pay more than 25% of your income on rent or a mortgage.



[b]They should not include the supplements which they have as this is for special needs like GST and telephone and scripts which it goes nowhere near covering and which are free to Age Pensioners in most other countries.[/b]



When private rents started to rise instead of screaming that the couples get more - and justifiably so and two people make up a couple and one makes up a single and anyway the Harmer report found that many singles actually live with others and therefore didn't need to have the rise but got is anyway.



That is when the government should have been lobbied to increase the amount of rent assistance to renters.



Instead they gave you $30 a week and couples nothing. You got $2.49 rise on your supplement and couples got $5.07 each.



Singles only have to buy

for one person and one lot of tastes and needs.

For example.



One lot of toiletry articles

One lot or replacement cosmetics

one lot of moisturiser

One lot of toilet rolls

One type of toothpaste

One type of deodorant

one tooth brush to replace when worn.

One type of shampoo and conditioner.

One type of soap.

One lot of medicines for one person.

One type of breakfast cereal.

One type of milk.

One type of hot drink.

One type of biscuit

One type of cheese

One dozen Eggs

One type of bacon

One type of bread

One type of spread for the bread

One type of hosiery replacements

One type of winter clothing replacements

One type of summer clothing replacements

One type of washing liquid for one persons clothes.



A couple uses different types of the above for their two different needs and two different tastes in foods and this cost more than buying for one set of tastes.



A couple need medicines for two bodies to keep healthy. But only get half the PBS allowance.



A couple get the exact same utilities allowance shared between them as a single to pay bills.



[b]You see what singles on the age pension are ignoring is that no two people can survive on the amount of food one person needs to eat daily.

So a pair of people - that is TWO need more money than ONE person to buy food and other necessities of life.[/b]



Maybe a single will understand it put this way.

If you are lucky enough as many singles are to eat out - you buy a portion of food and your dining partner buys a second portion of food - they cost twice more than one portion of food.

That is because two portions are twice the amount to buy than one portion. Get it?



It may cost a bit more to cook for Two as not all in one pan either so use more power to cook with.



Again Two use more water in the toilet and the shower and vanity washing hands than one person.



Also use more electricity as one person can shut off the light when exiting a room but if second person is still there then two use more electricity that way.



Also need more to wash more loads of clothing plus more water of course.



The list of more money used by two people to pay for the necessities of life just goes on.



So do enjoy your win of $30! It never was enough and over a year behind when it should have been given thanks to the Rudd Labour government and is already eaten up by the rises in food in the last year and the rises to come in July as states raise costs on essentials like power water rates once again.



And remember that you will be in the money by a whole $80 a week more than a married person or for a couple $160 a week and that is on the fortnightly pension a whole $320 more than two people who are a married or gay couple.



BTW I am sending this whole thing to MPs as it costs nothing to send an email and may just remind them that two need more to live on than one.



Any couple who feels the same can cut and paste the list and send it in their own name and join in or be very badly treated in future as unless there is an amendment we will have no rises ever in the base pension.

Do you have enough food to eat? Do you have a roof over your head? Are you able to meet your bills? Is it difficult? The same for singles, as well as marrieds. It's bloody hard to make ends meet.

However you do forget that the marrieds do get more per week for a start than a single and singles still have to pay the rent --or the rates / and utilities etc --I am talking about singles that live alone--



I am NOT saying it isn't hard for both--

I agree with you PlanB out of my 285 a week I also pay rent to homeswest of $83 a week, not much left after that



--



Even when you own your own home--you still have to find the money for the rates / Upkeep /and water / plus other utilities so it works out about the same as paying rent--sure the house may go up in value--but you can't eat bricks and mortar.

Plan B I think you are directing your angst towards the singles. I don't know of any singles who actually lobbied the government for a rise for themselves only. I for one was disgusted when the couples received so little, and I am a single pensioner. Your anger needs to be directed to the Rudd Government.

Trying to convince us singles that you are far worse off than us, is pointless. We can do nothing about it. Someone very early on in the debate for a pension rise said t,hat if we allowed ourselves to be divided, we were doomed to failure. Well it happened with some pensioners espousing their own cause, instead of standing together.

Pommy I don't think I was showing any angst toward any one --married or single--I was married--now widowed so now single. I too tthink that both married and singles should have received more. I have also written to The Government and also the Centrelink BUT as yet have had NO reply. Pommy I think you might have replied to the wrong person here ?

I too, am disgusted by the differential between single and married pensioners. I agree entirely with BigVal in her comments about costs.All pensions should be the same irrespective of your status.

Someone stated that we have to stop this in fighting and band together or we are lost.

Can someone enlighten me about "A Couple" Can two singles live together (Note,I said live ,not sleep) and still retain their single pension.? I know it would affect the rent assistance but anything else.? What is the legal requirement for singles living together?

If people do not have the bit of "we are married" paper I would think they can get two separate pensions? no sleeping together though. I am not sure about the kitchen table or elsewhere or whether sex actually comes into it but what IS classed as "living together" I wonder?

Is living together just the sex bit? or the sharing of a bed? or sharing other costs?

Is there anything re this written anywhere I wonder.

Phyl, I have explained this rediculous situation before, but here we go:- To register as a seperated couple living under the same roof, you only have to fill in a simple form to register. Unfortunately, the 11 page form requires info things like:- Q13. Have you filed for divorce? Sugg., answer. I dont believe in it

Q14. Have you claimed that you are married since your sep.? Sugg. answer. NO, because we are.

Q28:- Do you eat meals together? Sugg. answer. Yes, because we only had room for 1 table.

Q29:- Do you use the same kitchen? Sugg. answer. Yes, because Council would only allow the builder to put in 1 kitchen.

Q24:- Have you ever had sexual relations with the other person? Sugg. answer. Yes, but only because she insisted, on our honeymoon 40 years ago.

Q42:- Have you ever claimed the other person as a tax deductable dependant ? Sugg answer:- Not sine they cut out the deductability around 40 years ago.

Q51:- Do you share the electricity account? No, I make her pay it because she is the one who wont turn off the lights after her.

The mind boggles!!! Who was the idiot who designed these forms? I had a meal with my local member, 4 or 5 years ago. Did I miss out on my conjugal rights? Damn, she is nice & I forgot to ask. I had 4 or 5 meals with Father Walter Lini, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu about 29 years ago. Does this mean that I am a latent gay? I could go on, but this is patently rediculous. I am not admitting to anything personally, but I have a friend who is a bit of a man about town. Does that mean that he is in a partnership with 20 or 30 women? They are suggesting that you are a couple, if you share the same bed. When I was somewhat younger, I never realised that you could only have sex in bed. I wonder what their parents would have said if I had asked to use her bed instead of the back seat?

Sioncere apologies PlanB, I was actiually responding to Big Val's post.

No worries Pommy

BY the way while down the road yesterday I CALLED into Centrelink--as I have written to them and also the Rudd Government--and as yet have had NO answer--I waited about 3/4 hour to see the lass there--who was very nice and spent quite a deal of time looking into it for me--but she was unable to give me any figures at all--as she said it had NOT been legislated as yet--and she was also unable to work it out. I asked if on the 20th September /and after would we still be getting the Utilities PLUS the $32-49 per week (for singles) but she was not able to tell me.



I am going to keep on this and chase up some real answers.

Here is the letter I got back from the Federal Government--the still were unable to answer the question I asked simply which was>>>



Hi again Ashleigh,



Put simply---



Does this mean in September singles will get $640.78 per fortnight --AS WELL as the utilities allowance ?



Thanks

xxxxx

-------------------------------------------------



----- Original Message -----

From: Ashleigh Mullaly

To: xxxxx

Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 8:43 AM

Subject: RE: Re the pension increase ?





Hi xxxxx

Please see below the official Government summary of the new pension scheme. As highlight in bold, you can see that the increased assistance is on top of the four subsidies:





Pension payments will be simpler to understand and available on a more flexible basis, so that pensioners can plan and budget more effectively.



The Government will simplify the existing pension allowances by creating a new fortnightly Pension Supplement.



From 20 September 2009, the existing Goods and Services Tax Supplement, Pharmaceutical Allowance, Utilities Allowance, Telephone Allowance (at the higher internet rate), and increased assistance of $2.49 per week for singles and $10.14 per week for couples combined will be included in the new fortnightly Pension Supplement.



To assist pensioners to meet lumpy costs, from 1 July 2010, pensioners will:



· be able to receive around half of the Pension Supplement quarterly



· have greater access to advance pension payments through an increase in the maximum allowable advance and increase in the number of times they can access advances in a year.



From 1 July 2011, the new fortnightly Pension Supplement will be increased further to include the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme household assistance.











If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me on the details below.









Kind Regards,











Ashleigh Mullaly



Australian Labor Party NSW Branch



P: 9207 2000 F:9264 2574

Level 9,377-383 Sussex St,Sydney NSW 2000