Aged pensioners will receive two additional payments of $250 to help with costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The payments, announced in yesterday’s Federal Budget, will be made in December and in March next year.
The two payments will also be given to those on the disability support pension, carer payment, family tax benefit, carer allowance and certain veterans’ affairs payments.
The extra payments come after the aged pension was put on hold for the first time in more than 20 years due to inflationary pressure as a result of the pandemic.
People on the pensioner concession card, Commonwealth seniors health card and veterans’ concession cards will also pocket the money.
Announcing his second budget yesterday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg revealed $16 billion would be spent on COVID-19 health measures, aged care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and infrastructure projects.
Included in the aged care component will be $1.6 billion for 23,000 additional ‘home care packages’ to older Australians. The delivery of the packages, however, will be spread over four years. More than 100,000 Australians are still waiting to receive the Federal Government’s previous release of these packages.
The packages range from a Level 1 – worth around $8,800 a year for basic needs, to Level 4 which provides around $51,000 a year for high-level care needs.
“This is a big investment that will help lots of people,” said Community Services Australia chief executive, Pat Sparrow.
The Treasurer also announced $205 million to extend the aged care workforce retention bonus payment in a bid to keep workers in the sector as the pandemic continues.
More than 70 staff will also form a new Serious Incident Response Team – at a cost of $30 million – to regulate and inspect aged care home, following concerns raised by the Aged Care Royal Commission.
Mr Frydenberg appeared live on morning television in Canberra just minutes ago, saying the budget would “save lives and livelihoods”.
“The more debt and the more deficit is a function of the price of saving lives and livelihoods and the challenges we’re facing right now,” he told Today.
He said Australia had fared financially so much better than other countries during the pandemic.
“We are in the best country at a time when we’re better placed than any other nation.”
The broadcast was briefly interrupted by a protestor (pictured).
