Keep it up Kaye - squeaky wheel principle works :)



I last heard that it will be incorporated/issued with the Ken Henry Tax Review in December 2009.



We just have to wait for the Budget to see if anything is mentioned therein.



As you say it is a disgrace that people's hopes have been raised and now dashed without any real explanation.



It is fine for the government to go on about the shocking global melt down and how it will cost money but they are still able to spray money about to third world nations to help out their poor whilst ours are made to feel totally abandoned.



Unions are asking for $21 a week rise for the lowest paid who are on $540 a week.





so if they need a rise why are the pensioners still waiting on $284.90 a week for unmarried and $237.95 a week if married and from July 1st 2009 if gay and a couple.

Why do we continuously bang our heads on the wall expecting to get any consideration from our politicians. The chances of getting a look at the bare bones Harmer Report before they see if there is anything damaging towards them is NIL. Any recommendations if in our favour will be trimmed and if we win something you can bet your life something will be taken away or means tested. In the minds of our polititians there is no time frame or urgency in our existance, we will get what they give when they are good and ready. If a worldwide problem or a drama like the one thats unfolding now needs money its there for the taking you can have whatever it costs. But as Australians we ride on the train of policies , budgets and promises, the policies are whats told us at election time, the budget is always what we will get in the NEXT budget and the promises are always broken. Thats the truth of it, there should be no distinction between seniors carers widows and whoever and whatever category they come under, if they rely solely on the goverment for their monetary existance then it should be an amount that we/they can live on comforably without this continuous begging and having to explain our differences.

Spot on westozzy. I think the Government are probably censoring it because it is such a hot potato. I also believe that the same reason applies when the committee were told they were no longer required to make recommendations. I am only surprised that some journalist hasn't managed to get hold of the report. In my mind this was just a political exercise to keep us all quiet for a few months while they figured out how to not do anything.

I don't know what to think about the non release of the Harmer Report, but I must comment, that in all the years that I have been interested in Aust., Politics, I cannot remember a single time that the total contents of any Gov., Paper have been kept totally secret, without single word, slipping out. I haven't even heard a rumour of a leak !!!

May budget will be 12th.



I have heard that pensioners will get a rise but how much will have to wait until the night no leaks to date.



This is part of the 3rd stimulus package and will include disability and carers too.



Due to Harmer Report which they tell me will be referred to in the Budget papers but not released.



Have to wonder what awful things it says about how badly in particular Age Pensioners are being treated.

Seeing as they cant get a job to help out the meagre pension and others can.



Also Partner Allowance is actually the married rate of the dole there for when one has one on Age and one on partner the poor sods are not even getting the couples amount but a disability couple both get the same married rate as Age Pensioner couple.



Another anomaly.



Like the fact that married couples on CSHC each get the same utilities allowance as a single pensioner but the married one on age or Age/partner share.



Same as married couples share the pharmaceutical benefits allowance and get $3 a fortnight each or $1.50 a week instead of $6 a fortnight or $3 a week.

[color=green][size=4]I think we should take the matter to Current Affairs and blast them out of complacency!...All back to the wall! Who votes yes?[/size][/color]

You know I have been stewing all day about the lack of empathy from our duly elected government to us pensioners, who without us would not even be on the face of this earth, as their parents would be pensioners by now. No doubt they would be well looked after though. Even so, we are here and doing it so tough that some of us are near to thinking of putting an end to it all. Why are we not getting what we deserve? I have no doubts whatsoever that the Harmer report states we need at least $100 a week to bring us up to a level equal to other countries or to the current standard of living in this one. So I have been thinking what can we do to bring it home to them and the world that we are in this shocking state. Then I had a flash. No not someone opening their raincoat! I remembered that stories that were put on YouTube suddenly found worldwide fame. So, why doesn't one of us who has a video camera make a little 10 minute segment about the plight we are in, dramatise it a little, not that you would have to really it is a horror story on it's own. let it loose on to YouTube & sit and wait. It WILL be found and lets hope it has the effect we want. It worked for others. So how about it friends? I do not have a camera any more, but I would be willing to do the talking if nobody else wanted to, I have no qualms at putting myself in the front line. It is for the good of us all after all.

interesting.. thanks for bringing that up..

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hi everyone, suanne here. you can read the harmer report by going to the centrelink page then clicking onto the report in a list at the top of the page.basically it says that people who totally rely on the pension as their only income and those in private rental housing will benifit more than those who are in housing which they own, whether single or a couple or in government housing. it seems to me that the aged pension will be means tested.there is to be a basic pension payment to which supplements ,eg phone allowance, utilities etc are added to the pension .rather than pay aged pensioners a one-off bonus payment they are going to add it to your pension payment and at a later date (july2010) you will be asked if you want the bonus paid in a lump sum at a time nominated by you , during the year. i found the harmer report to be ''needsfirst'' pension.those who need it the most will get the most. i hope this clears it up abit more but read it yourselves i may have missed some vital parts. suanne

I have read the Pension Review and the Budget papers section for Age Pension on the review named above.





I think maybe you are not on the age pension yet - or a single as you missed what I thought was the starting point of the review and the outcome was like a survey is - skewed.



You all know that to get the right outcome you have to ask the questions that deliver it in a survey.



Cunning but it happens and most people don't really think about it - just go "Oh is that so"!



Having worked with surveys - no is it not so - it is a way to get your agenda on track!



This world is based these days on avarice and greed sadly and then chuck in envy and we have the basis for the report on Age pensions. A campaign by singles for a rise saying all the time that the justification was that couples got double - not actually true.



The Reviews starts with the premise that a 'couple' get more than sufficient for their needs so lets forget them - and look at singles only.



Then it takes in the submissions which for authorities came from the likes of Brotherhood of St Lawrence who used same premise. Then added their own agenda that the principal place of residence of some pensioners were worth a million or more so they were ripping off the system - no thought to how or why this happened or that the couple may have bought the thing 40 years back when worth average and the total population expansion we have undergone causing cities etc to grow outwards has brought them into an inner city area so the value has increased with the demand.

Also neglecting to take into account that they paid for it out of their net income after income taxes and other taxes and living expenses.

They want age pensioners with a residence over 1 million have to sell it or go without a bit of pension.





Next comes Cota who want to pay singles remarkably close to the new budget papers amounts with same premise - again starting from couples are okay.



ACOSS same.



Then individual submissions from singles saying they cannot visit their interstate relatives or go to the movies or eat out as no money etc. And so it goes.



If couples submitted - not mentioned.



Outcome - couples are doomed to fall farther and farther behind a single pensioner as they do not get a look in on MAW which the singles now will get 27.7% each. Howard had each on 20% of MAW but no mention at all of any amount for a 'couple'

Only the CPI bit which is not spelt out how it works but wont be much at all as heavily weighted downwards against cost of living with private health insurance 30% rebate and seasonal adjustments etc.



The Review did state that there should be 3 rates of pay for pensioners. 2 for singles - 2 for those living alone and 1 for many who share or live with relatives and therefore are not so badly off. But didn't recommend this.



Don't you just love that these organisations that supposedly are to look after ALL elderly fairly have this same agenda!



BTW don't discount the agenda being behind this - as a new one started today - nothing to do with pensioners - but the pay of backbench MP's. On Breakfast the Editor of Sunday Age asked if their pay of $120,000 is enough to get good people and Virginia followed it up with the old pay peanuts get monkeys excuse for a rise.

Not a bad post on the Survey side of push polling BigVal. At the end of the day, I want to know why a married couple, don't get 2 single pensions. They have been paying 2 single taxes since the 60's. I am a little surprised that they haven't started a new, lower rate of pension, for those in Government subsidised housing, or lower still for those in nursing homes etc.

Just a little point of interest. If $120,000 gets us a ''peanut'' politition, what does a pay of $315 p/week get you?

this is an interesting discussion.. thank you for sharing :)

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In reply to Innes comment: [b]Just a little point of interest. If $120,000 gets us a ‘’peanut’’ politition, what does a pay of $315 p/week get you? [/b]

I would answer bird seed.

May I ask Innes and terrib this, if $120,000 gets us a peanut politician and $315gets us birdseed , then what does $248.20 a week get you?

A lot of vitriolic replys when posts are made pointing out the disadvantages that a lot of widows through out Australia are in through laying open my life as an example (I know of others here in my suburb who are in a similar boat to me but I would not and will not ask them to expose themselves to the responses I have had)