Pensioners to be target of welfare card cut

Malcolm Turnbull
Contributed by an age pensioner

A leaked federal government document shows the government’s intention to take concession cards from pensioners and it will cost an individual up to $49.10 per fortnight.

All welfare payments under $20.02 will be scrapped.  Retirees who do not qualify for the full pension because of superannuation or assets, but receive the nominal amount, will not qualify for the health care card.

For retires, the cost of health, including prescription drugs can be formidable. These pensioners will also lose the pension rate car registration, license and council rates etc. Most of these people are not wealthy. Many have already had their pension cut via the recent change to the assets test and are in financial stress.

Some people on disability support and carers also face the loss.

Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) chief executive Dr Cassandra Goldie warned the government against welfare changes, saying Australia already has one of the most targeted systems of ­income support.

“Once again, this kind of proposal targets people on low and modest incomes to make savings,” Dr Goldie said.

It is extraordinary that as the exposure of the treatment of welfare recipients through Centrelink continues to unfold, the Turnbull government is going for yet another measure to raise funds from some of the most vulnerable Australians. The government chooses to ignore the  evident public concern.

The suggestion that this is necessary to control the budget, convinces almost no-one. It is common knowledge that this comes at a time when the same government, refuses to act on corporate tax evasion and siphoning off funds to tax free havens. Practices that put a bigger hole into government finances that is saved by welfare cuts.

A good part of the reason for the demise of former treasurer Joe Hockey and why Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott as prime minister, was that they sighted the same target. Malcolm Turnbull promised then that his would be a more caring government.

There are a lot of Australian who feel let down by the betrayal of this promise.

 

45 Comments on "Pensioners to be target of welfare card cut"

  1. lily zanrosso | 20 March 2017 at 9:38 am | Reply

    JUST HOW LOW DOES TURNBULL WANT TO GO ,IT IS TIME THAT THIS GOVERNMENT SHOULD GO THE SOONER THE BETTER.

  2. Australia is a sovereign nation and the issuer of the $Aus Dollar,this means the Government can not run out of money and can never default on payments and can afford all of the infrastructure it needs to build to run the country well..all restrictions and cuts are self imposed but the government of the day,the cuts the Turnbull/Abbott are as unnecessary as the cuts the Rudd/Gillard government put in place.

    the only real restriction/limitations our country faces is resourses and if we run out of them,the government though can always afford to spend,but it is what they spend on that makes the difference.
    they always seem to have money for the top end of town and bailouts but never the lower socioeconomic sector.

  3. Murray Dickson | 20 March 2017 at 6:18 pm | Reply

    …and if you happen to be living abroad, marred and with a schoolage child, you DON’T get ANY of these perk anyway.
    Worse yet….they reduce the Oensionafter 13 weeks away from Oz and then a further redction after 26 Weeks.
    Labor was NO BETTER than the current mib, so don’t be fooled by Labor-Stooges trying to suggest the likes of Foul-mouth Rudd and Lying Ju-Lia were defenders of Aussie Retrees.

    • What are you trying to say. Obviously English is not your first language.

    • Yep i agree

    • So why do expect a welfare payment if you are living abroad?
      The mind boggles.
      With respect, these ‘perks” that you describe are actually meant for people whose backside is hanging out of there pants. Not to support you while you’re ‘abroad” perking all around the place when yhere other people who survive week to week.
      No wonder the country is broke with that type of mentality.

  4. Rick Gerhardt | 21 March 2017 at 7:24 pm | Reply

    Malcom you can only squeeze the pensioners so far ,if you persist with your plan to cut the concession card as well ,you will not be a second term prime minister and you will go down in history as Australia’s worst prime minister ,us pensioners will NOT vote for you and your party .I know you don’t care about the little people in this country ,being a multi millionaire but your time will come and you will regret what you have done to this once great country .

    • NOELENE DAVEY | 26 March 2017 at 6:24 pm | Reply

      I TOTALLY agree with what you said Rick this man does not have feelings for people who struggle ..when i worked we did not have superannuation but we paid our taxes always ..so through no fault of our own we have be on the pension …if he does what is being said then his out for sure and it will be good ridance to a thoughtless person

    • certainly couldnt afford to live if concession card taken from us
      couldnt afford anything. ppl would have to sell homes etc. what a traitor and thats polite

  5. The Gillard government brought in the cut for pensioners away after 26 weeks, as an ill conceived, knee-jerk, panic reaction to the Greek problem. Now that the mechanism is in place, anyone as evil as Turnbull can simply tighten the screws, until there is nothing is left. It was a very bad move to create this weapon in the first place. Now that the worst people have control of it, there is no stopping them. We don’t even have an effective opposition to defend us.

    • No, it was a well timed cut to stop disability pensioners from travelling overseas. I could see her reasons after seeing some of the pensioners, but honest people were also caught up in the mess. I’m an ex soldier on a disability pension (because the military had no option) was cut off all benefits. Gillard then spent millions using the court system to keep pensions away from pensioners. I could write quite a lot about this, but it would only bore you and other readers…

  6. Im a returned veteran I’ ve done 28 yrs service and we (my wife) and I r living from pay day to pay and I’m worried

  7. Cited* from: A good part of the reason for the demise of former treasurer Joe Hockey and why Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott as prime minister, was that they sighted the same target. Winces*…

  8. If they provide anymore cuts. I won’t be able to provide medication to my high needs children. I have to cut social Skills course and taking them sports skills and music. Cutting car concessions will make it very hard for me to rush to hospital, if I end up taking public transport. Not o mention when you have a agreement to come straight to the school of your child has a meltdown! This government has shares in private health funding. I’m over 50. So I could not afford it, yet you know it’s what they want. It makes me sick.

  9. Labor started these cuts and liberals when end it all! Don’t fool yourself, that’s either are in the battlers side anymore.

  10. Pensions are earnt! Through working all their lives & paying their taxes, people EARN the pension. Hands off u greedy pigs. Cannot believe u politicians have sunk so low!

  11. Greg Morrison | 24 March 2017 at 1:17 pm | Reply

    Turnbull you tosser…..leave us pensioners alone….. I have paid my taxes over the past 40 years…….take some off your buddies at the top end of town! You and your cronies are screwing this once great country that many a fine man and woman have died for. Shame on you…..Shame Shame Shame

  12. If only everyone paid the GST & couldn’t claim it back like business do .Just how much more money the government would have. Plus go after the big end of town not paying 0 Tax & we would have surplus & leave the battlers alone

  13. If this mean and heartless scrooge does this,he’ll have a lot of trouble.Pensioners are voters to,and i will personally take part in any protest or revolt.Enough is enough you tax avoiding cretin,investing your money in Cayman Island to pay no tax or minimize your tax in our Country where you are the head of as PM IS treason.You ought to be very ashamed of your self.But in your Fiberal parties dictionary the words fairness,truth and compassion does not exist.

  14. leave us little people alone Malcom why don’t use start cutting your income and see how far u get stop bring in other people in to this country and think about Australians send back all these refugees and leave the pensioners alone we need to stand up and get rid of this government

  15. carol quinlan | 25 March 2017 at 12:41 pm | Reply

    YOU DO THIS TURNBALL AND YOUR CROOKED CRONIES THE SHIT WILL HIT THE FAN BIG TIME !!!!!JUST TRY IT AND SEE ,IT WILL BRING ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS THAT YOUR CLOSED MINDS HAVE,NT EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT !!!!

  16. What is it with Turnbull being a scrooge with the Australian public, while giving BIG business either big tax breaks, or letting them take their money off shore and paying NO tax! How many times have we seen , if hust a few companies paid their share tax, there is no need for ALL this crap! It doesn’t SAVE JOBS Mr T, they will raise and lower their costs to suit their own agenda! if Coke-a-Cola (Amitel – or whatever) raises their product by 20 cents a bottle, it will be forgotten in 2 weeks… but to save that 20 cents, from a pensioner, who has worked all their life, and PAID their share of tax, they receive less and less – at an OLDER age now…

  17. TYPICAL FUCK FACE

  18. This is bullshit all these retirees have worked hard and should be entitled to something something from the government having a health card isn’t much as they still have to to pay for specialist services and full cost for certain medications some of these retirees wouldn’t have much superannuation funds they could possibly have a partner in care which is a major financial strain why can’t the government take pay cuts a pension doesn’t cover much especially if they have a loved one in care coz a pension doesn’t cover the cost.
    POLITICIANS NEED TO LOOK AT OUR WELFARE SYSTEM AS IT’S UNFAIR.
    POLITICIANS ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD BE TAKING PAY CUTS NOT US STRUGGLING EVERYDAY AUSTRALIANS I WORK AND JUST EARN ENOUGH TO COVER MY EVERY DAY EXSPENSES EVEN WITH THE LITTLE BIT I GET FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

  19. Worst prime minister in Australian history take from the poverty line and lavish the so called refugees with luxury ,,,,,,,#FKOFFTURNBULL#

  20. Where do you people get off believing this crap. You are well aware that any cuts to welfare be they even $1 for people earning in excess of a $100 K a year will be opposed by the the Greens and labor.

  21. Joseph Mizzi | 26 March 2017 at 9:23 pm | Reply

    The opposition cant do much, they not the government.

  22. This will seal the govt loss next election .. they are sinking in opinion polls

  23. I see I may have to hand myself

  24. tracey tucker | 27 March 2017 at 9:43 am | Reply

    i think they should start making cuts to their own benefits they earn enough to not need a pension do the superannuation like normal people and live of that their pension is ten times more than normal people

  25. Stop saying ” the Turnbull Government ” it is in fact , the Liberal Government . Turnbull is just the mouthpiece for the liberals and that is why there have been no significant changes from when Abbott was their mouthpiece. They have to tow the party line. When people say ” the Turnbull Government ” they are falling for their smoke and mirrors game.

  26. What a scumbag! Punish those already struggling but don’t dare do anything that might reduce politicians’ incomes….oh dear me …No that would never do ### Just continue on with the “get blood out of a stone” practices !#!

  27. Bill Hutchison | 27 March 2017 at 6:54 pm | Reply

    Instead of cutting pensioners payments why don’t the polly’s take a pay cut ,that would save thousands and not hurt the ones who live pension to pension .

  28. When Gillard devastated lots of peoples lives by messing with the pension I took the unusual step for me of writing to her and explaining that whilst I am a Labor supporter this was an unnecessary and unkind thing to do.To witness the LNP actively pursuing welfare recipients over what amounts to pennies does not surprise me in any way …..because they have always been actively more horrible .Seems like a very good time to vote Greens

  29. And you seem to wonder why people will do anything they can to get out of paying taxes well they have to to survive unless you are the top end of town that is

  30. Murray you conveniently forget Abbott on the eve of the the election saying nothing was to be cut, then turning around and doing the reverse as soon as he had won.

  31. angus McCall | 28 March 2017 at 10:26 pm | Reply

    on the basic pension I depend on second hand clothes and shoes from my local op shop [ care & share] and meals costing $ 5 + – A DAY and I am one of the lucky ones because I have my own home but cant afford a car so how many survive I have no idea !!

  32. A very dangerous move Mr. Turnbull.

  33. Helen Zanardi | 29 March 2017 at 9:36 am | Reply

    Most aged pensioners have paid taxes all their working life so are only getting a percentage of their taxes back.

  34. Why is he still in ,low prick

  35. Interesting how in the UK pensioners get the following:
    Free travel after 65
    Free TV license after 75
    Free wall insulation after 70
    Free medication scripts
    Free healthcare

    And these are only the things that I know of I’m sure there are more. So why is it that our politicians are screwing our pensioners?

    How about cutting politicians’ entitlements, freezing their wage increases, reducing their Superannuation slush fund, and starting to make politicians more transparent in Australia?

  36. They are taking off the disabled and pensioners to pay for all the imigrants and boat people.
    I am sick of this crap
    We have worked hard all our lives for a pension and labour and greens agree they should all hang there heads in shame

  37. What a moron. He’s not going to save money he’s going to end up spending more. So he takes the concession card away. Pensioners can’t afford meds so they end up in hospital drawing more funds there because they get sick or die. Is that what he wants. Kill off the sick and weak. Pensioners get so much less then the lowest income earner as it is. Give us a break. We don’t choose to have a disability.
    When are the politicians going to cut there own darn pays to help the economy. I’m not even saying hit the high income earners they keep getting hit as well. Politicians get paid ridiculous amounts of money whilst in parliament and then after. How about we do what others do when they leave job. Give them one off payment for instance equal tho 6 months pay off even a year and then they have to survive. Do they not save anything whilst working. Be real and be human. How about you live like the rest of us.

  38. kylee henry | 1 April 2017 at 1:18 pm | Reply

    When malcom scored the top job he dazzled us all with optimistic speaches about how great it is to be australian promising us all a brighter future..he said he wanted to do something for the thousands of families enduring domestic violence encouraging us all to respect each other..but the reality is malcom is just a liar….he doesnt respect people like me who have worked hard for their entire lives but just face poverty and the stigma of being a drain on society…the poor are gettin poorer the cost of living keeps increasing…taking what little benefits pensioners have just shows he is a mongrel…shame on you malcom show some respect!!

  39. Why viewers still make use of to read news papers when in this technological globe the whole thing is existing on web?

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