Aussie Pensioners below poverty line

[Korto]

Senior citizens are struggling in poverty, surviving in desperate straits, having to steal food from waste bins, only getting $273 (base single pension) a week...

Boo fucking hoo. I have no sympathy for the coddled, privelaged bastards. I lived ten years on the bloody dole, something that right now is a grand total of $218.50 a week (base single rate). With this money, I paid rent, bills, fed myself, the dog got his shots, kept my bike on the road, and still managed to save enough to buy a new computer every few years. I never received utilities allowance, phone allowance, or discounts on my vehicle registration, movie tickets, or bloody haircuts, or special government budget "You haven't died yet so have some money" money.
On the money they get, I could have had a bloody party every week, bought a new computer every year, an overseas holiday every two years... You can't live on it? Fine. Die then.

Pensioners may not be first against the wall when the revolution starts, but they wont have long to wait in the queue.

[TheMuffinKing]

link please. I wish to read more.

[atg]

<snip wah! look at what I did>

Well hoo-freaking-ray to you, you want a medal? Has it occured to you that perhaps your circumstances aren't the same as most pensioners? As in perhaps medical expenses among others would be vastly different unless you have some major health problem. I know my grandparents find it tough, they live OK but it can be a stretch at times, and I know they sure as hell aint getting luxuries every week.

Oh and yes I know what its like to have to live on the dole. My family did for several years when my Dad couldn't find work when I was going through high school.

I never received utilities allowance, phone allowance, or discounts on my vehicle registration, movie tickets, or bloody haircuts, or special government budget "You haven't died yet so have some money" money.

Conveniently missing out the low income health care card you would have got amongst other help are we?

Pensioners may not be first against the wall when the revolution starts, but they wont have long to wait in the queue.

Here's a suggestion, screw you Internet Tough Guy. While we're making random threats against social benefits recipients perhaps current and former dole bludgers should also be up against the wall, such as you perhaps? Or maybe we should wait a bit for when you're on a pension?

I for one would like to know when you were on the dole, cause if it wasn't any time recently then the way prices on everything have gone up then its a whole different ball game. Oh, and why not provide a link to the information you're so upset about as well?

[Korto]

I never received utilities allowance, phone allowance, or discounts on my vehicle registration, movie tickets, or bloody haircuts, or special government budget "You haven't died yet so have some money" money.

Conveniently missing out the low income health care card you would have got amongst other help are we?

Which they receive as well. I also received rent assistance, as would they, if they don't own their own house.

I for one would like to know when you were on the dole, cause if it wasn't any time recently then the way prices on everything have gone up then its a whole different ball game. Oh, and why not provide a link to the information you're so upset about as well?

Put up or shut up? Fair enough. It's mainly been on TV, but there's Jenny Macklin, chilly oldies, and ministers in parliment
To answer your question, two and a half years ago. Amusingly enough, now I work, my net weekly income is $290. And I no longer get a bus pass. Do still get the health care card.

[Graeme Dice]

What is wrong with all of the people who think that if they had to suffer for something, everybody else has to suffer the same amount or more?

[Kanastrous]

I lived ten years on the bloody dole, something that right now is a grand total of $218.50 a week (base single rate). With this money, I paid rent, bills, fed myself, the dog got his shots, kept my bike on the road, and still managed to save enough to buy a new computer every few years.

How old were you, while you were doing this?

[loomer]

Hey, Korto? Fuck you, I'm a pensioner.

Disability. I can't work a proper job because of my health issues (specifically, the allergies, my blood infection and long-term antibiotic use for such which means I get burnt by the sun incredibly easily and my immune system is basically dead, my asthma, and my anxiety issues).

Fortunately, I am hovering at the poverty line. My part time work (I proof read and make minor edits) as well as the odd magazine article are keeping me above most of the time. I eat well by not bothering with a car and by taking advantage of specials. All my clothes are upwards of two years old, and those are the youngest I have. Most are easily five or six years old, and before that, pre-owned. I can manage the electricity, water, phone and internet bills because I share my house and my parents will make up the slack whenever I dip below the line.

Tomorrow I'm buying my first new coat in something like eight years. It's thirty dollars. That's the only reason why I even considered it, since right now, that's a stretch of my spending budget. The money isn't as great as you think. Dick.

[weemadando]

For people at the low end of the pension, it sucks. But, due to the Howard gov'ts changes to eligibility criteria, it's pretty much a fucking joke now.

Personally, if you have more than 500k in the bank, I don't think that you need public assistance to live. Centrelink Asset Tests.

Why the fuck can't people just use their own money to live before taking mine? It drives me up the wall that a great whack of my income is taxed and then a great whack of that tax is spent on subsidising the lifestyle of a lot of people who are fucking better off financially than I am.

[Stark]

Remember, changing assets tests or income loading = REDUCING PENSIONS ZOMG U HATE OLD PEOPLE. Good old Today Tonight....

[SirNitram]

Is this actual news for our Aussies, or would this be more accurately characterized as Kutro being a self-righteous internet tough guy and thus deserving condemnation via flush?

[loomer]

Bit of both. Scaremongering by the media, and Kutro being a dick.

[bobalot]

I think theres a general re-examination of middle class welfare. There are a lot of people getting welfare,pensions,tax breaks etc. who shouldn't be getting them. Who are quite well off financially.

[Stark]

Yeah, and anyone who examines or suggests changes to the system is instantly painted as an 'opponent' of welfare who wants to 'kick people off'. The sense of entitlement is breathtaking.

[weemadando]

Yeah, and anyone who examines or suggests changes to the system is instantly painted as an 'opponent' of welfare who wants to 'kick people off'. The sense of entitlement is breathtaking.

And this is coming from someone who doesn't even work there...

[JointStrikeFighter]

Yeah, and anyone who examines or suggests changes to the system is instantly painted as an 'opponent' of welfare who wants to 'kick people off'. The sense of entitlement is breathtaking.

And this is coming from someone who doesn't even work there...

FHUCK JOO! NO TAKING MY AUSSTUDY AWAY!.

Here's a fun fact, Dan's taxes pay for me to get drunk

[weemadando]

Yeah, and anyone who examines or suggests changes to the system is instantly painted as an 'opponent' of welfare who wants to 'kick people off'. The sense of entitlement is breathtaking.

And this is coming from someone who doesn't even work there...

FHUCK JOO! NO TAKING MY AUSSTUDY AWAY!.

Here's a fun fact, Dan's taxes pay for me to get drunk :P

Enjoy the Austudy/Youth Allowance, at least there's a purpose to that payment (educating people).

[JointStrikeFighter]

And this is coming from someone who doesn't even work there...

FHUCK JOO! NO TAKING MY AUSSTUDY AWAY!.

Here's a fun fact, Dan's taxes pay for me to get drunk

Enjoy the Austudy/Youth Allowance, at least there's a purpose to that payment (educating people).

Yeah, and unlike alot of people I'm actually using it to get a real degree [Geology] instead of some useless Bachelor of Arts or other derivative.

[Spyder]

I lived ten years on the bloody dole, something that right now is a grand total of $218.50 a week (base single rate).

I'm sorry to hear that, what kept you on the dole, sickness/injury?

[mr friendly guy]

Well hoo-freaking-ray to you, you want a medal? Has it occured to you that perhaps your circumstances aren't the same as most pensioners? As in perhaps medical expenses among others would be vastly different unless you have some major health problem.

Uh, which part of Australia do you live in where pensioners or anyone for that matter can't rock up into the hospital emergency department where they get "free" (ie tax payer subsidised health care). Note also that government subsidised medications as well on our PBS system.

That type of argument might fly in the free market US, but its harder to swing here.

[mr friendly guy]

For people at the low end of the pension, it sucks. But, due to the Howard gov'ts changes to eligibility criteria, it's pretty much a fucking joke now.

Personally, if you have more than 500k in the bank, I don't think that you need public assistance to live. Centrelink Asset Tests.

Why the fuck can't people just use their own money to live before taking mine? It drives me up the wall that a great whack of my income is taxed and then a great whack of that tax is spent on subsidising the lifestyle of a lot of people who are fucking better off financially than I am.

At 500 K they still get a part pension? At that amount of money and at say 7% interest thats $35000 a year and at $673 a week (before tax). Thats easily more than twice the pension as mentioned by Korto. Why the fuck do these guys need more money?

On another note, hey maybe my dad when he retires in a few years could be eligible.

[weemadando]

For people at the low end of the pension, it sucks. But, due to the Howard gov'ts changes to eligibility criteria, it's pretty much a fucking joke now.

Personally, if you have more than 500k in the bank, I don't think that you need public assistance to live. Centrelink Asset Tests.

Why the fuck can't people just use their own money to live before taking mine? It drives me up the wall that a great whack of my income is taxed and then a great whack of that tax is spent on subsidising the lifestyle of a lot of people who are fucking better off financially than I am.

At 500 K they still get a part pension? At that amount of money and at say 7% interest thats $35000 a year and at $673 a week (before tax). Thats easily more than twice the pension as mentioned by Korto. Why the fuck do these guys need more money?

On another note, hey maybe my dad when he retires in a few years could be eligible.

Exactly, I work full-time and barely get that much. And I certainly don't get any goddamn concessions.

[bobalot]

A lot of people use financial schemes to show that they have low incomes, or few assets to gain benefits when they actually are quite well off.

You would be surprised how stringent a lot of these means testing is for poor people or the unemployed.

It really shits me when you see middle and upper class wankers demanding un-means tested benefits.

[loomer]

Shits me off as well, to be honest. Means that people who actually need a pension (I'm borderline. I could scrape by without, but not with a decent quality of life and not without stress on my health) like the elderly or severely disabled get a bad rap from shitheads like Korto.

[mr friendly guy]

I am also interested in what percentage of people on pensions actually are the struggling type and those that by rights should be well off, say those who have $500 k in assets.

Of those struggling, I am curious as to the reason why, for example do they have medical problems which make it difficult for them to work (which I totally sympathise with) or because they didn't manage money while they were younger (ignoring for a moment they may have fallen victims to scams) and now they are oldies they want the government to give them a hand. I have seen the latter case mentioned several times by financial advisors as examples of clients who just managed to avoid that fate because they saw advisors shortly before they retired. (Yes I realise there are most probably more reasons why someone is on a pension than the ones I listed).

I easily sympathise with the former case, but I find it harder to do so with the latter. I mean one should plan for the future. Here is a free tip. With Australia's population "greying" I have seen some financial advisors saying that the government cannot continue this state of welfare by the time young people like us retire. Therefore its time to plan for ourselves, because the best person to look after our own financial affairs is ourselves.

I certainly hope by the time I get to be old enough to qualify for an age pension I don't have to go protesting in the streets and stripping down to protest the current government not providing enough money because I managed to save / invest enough when I retire.

[weemadando]

If you aren't a baby-boomer, you're fucked. It's not going to be long until there will be more people claiming income support (read: full-time type welfare) payments than there are people working in Australia.

So what have all the government's been doing? Making it EASIER to get a fucking payment.