Pensioner's Centrelink plea after 50-year career paying taxes: ‘25 cents a day'

Yahoo

14-04-2025

Labor and the Coalition have both ruled out increasing Centrelink payments, despite desperate pleas from community groups and recipients. While the payments go up multiple times a year to keep pace with inflation, many feel it's nowhere near enough to match the rising cost of living.
Retiree Marge asked how older Aussies are meant to get by on the current Age Pension.
"How can the government expect us to believe that they know everyone is doing it tough when the latest pension increase for a couple equates to 25 cents per day each?" she said on the ABC program Q&A.
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"Every bill we pay has risen significantly... actions definitely speak louder than words in this situation."
She said after working for 50 years and paying her taxes, she shouldn't have to be so intensely focused on every dollar she spends in her twilight years.
Another Centrelink payment under the spotlight was JobSeeker, which recently went up by $3.10 per fortnight.
Economist Nicki Hutley told the programme that recent modelling revealed that investing an extra $1 in JobSeeker sees a $1.25 return in the community."Now that is a very solid return on investment in terms of healthier people, lower government payments, better productivity. It is a win-win outcome," she said.
"They're living well below the poverty line, unable to afford rent in most places, meals, medicines, kids, educational needs.
'This is not acceptable."
She referenced the recent report from the government's Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, which recommended increasing JobSeeker to 90 per cent of the Age Pension.
That would take the payment from the current $781.10 per fortnight to $942.39.
Yahoo Finance has spoken with several Centrelink recipients, who have all said the current payments are nowhere near enough.
Perth resident Damien said an extra $3.10 per fortnight wouldn't even buy two litres of milk.
"I just scoffed at it. I just feel like not accepting it. It's not going to do us any benefit at all," he said.
"We're supposed to be the lucky country."
But politicians from the two major parties reaffirmed their view that the payment shouldn't be increased.
Clare O'Neil, housing and homelessness minister, said Labor won't be supporting another boost for JobSeeker.
"Please understand every budget we come to, we are absolutely trying to find every single way that we can help people relieve pressures," she told the audience.
Michael Sukkar, shadow social services minister, said it was "depressing" that the "working poor" concept had arrived in Australia where people are working around the clock and potentially living in their cars.
He said while political parties always look to increase social security payments, it's sometimes not possible.
"How much do we shake all of you down for more taxes... that can enable us as far as social benefits," he said.
"Is it ever going to be enough? No."
The Australia Institute's executive director, Richard Denniss, had a very quick and easy solution for both parties in where they'd find the money to support the country's most vulnerable.
"I can save you a fortune," he said on the programme. "$15 billion a year in fossil fuel subsidies, $15 billion a year.
"AUKUS, $360 billion... and when Josh Frydenberg was asked, 'Can we afford it?', he said, 'You can always afford it if it's a priority'.
"He's right. We're one of the richest countries in the world.
"We're so rich we can drop a lazy $360 billion on some nuclear subs we didn't know we need. But sorry, unemployed people. Oh, money doesn't grow on trees."