Poor Pensioners

[Drop Bear]

Came across this email this morning. Thought some people might be interested in having a look, seeing the government is looking at giving the pensioners a measly $30 a week more.

C:\Documents and Settings\graphics4\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK10D\ATT00002.html

[Lightning McQueen]

Not working there Droppie

[Drop Bear]

My bad. Try this...

[Lightning McQueen]

What's a spouse allowance.

A) Money to try and lure a new one?
B) Money to dine your missus?

[Q.]

How old are these figures?

Asylum seekers aren't allowed to work while their visas and citizenship are being processed. These figures refer to the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme which is administered by the Red Cross and funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. I believe they receive what is known as Centrelink Special Benefit, but do not receive 100% of it. Once they are processed I reckon they receive a different benefit while they study or until they find work.

And yes, pensioners are still getting the short straw from our Government.

[Drop Bear]

My favourite is the Hardship Allowance. $0 for the oldies because they have to so easy

[Wedgie]

Please don't post this rubbish on a public forum. It's just anti immigration propoganda lies and I honestly can't believe people are gullible enough to fall for it without checking their facts. Its been doing the rounds for years!

Claims that refugees in Australia get substantially higher government payments than pensioners are completely unfounded

According to this widely circulated protest email, a refugee who arrives in Australia receives a considerably higher monthly benefit payment from the Australian government than do aged pensioners who have lived and worked in the country for years before retirement. The message has caused a great deal of anger and resentment among recipients and has been discussed at length on various talk-back radio shows and in letters to the editor in newspapers across the country.

However, the information in the message is total nonsense and in no way reflects the real level of entitlements for refugees or pensioners.

A September 2007 media release from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) notes:
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has refuted false claims circulating on the internet that refugees settling in Australia receive more in benefit payments than Australian pensioners.

'The figures quoted in the email bear no resemblance to income-support payments to pensioners, or to payments to refugees settling in Australia,' DIAC spokesman Sandi Logan said today.

'The text and figures in the email appear to have originated in Canadian emails, websites and internet chatrooms. We suspect that the email circulating here has been cut and pasted from these sources.

'In Australia, refugees granted permanent visas may gain access to benefits on the same basis and at the same rates as other Australian permanent residents.

'Refugees with temporary visas do not have access to the full range of benefits - they are only eligible for Centrelink Special Benefits on the same basis and rates as other Australian residents.

'There is no separate rate of benefit payments for refugees.'

Mr Logan said refugees received no cash payments under Australia’s Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy.
Former Howard government minister Mal Brough also refuted the claims in an August 2007 media release:
Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, today warned age pensioners to be alert to an internet scam, which appears designed to anger pensioners over the level of financial support provided to refugees in Australia.

"Emails are being sent to older Australians, claiming refugees are receiving welfare payments of $2,500 per month and comparing that to the age pension," Mr Brough said.

"The claims in the email are blatant lies, which are also being repeated on websites and chat rooms.

"What concerns me most is that the scam targets older people and uses the plight of refugees to whip up discontent.
Moreover, the message is not even home-grown. In fact it is a mutant sibling of a protest email that has circulated in both Canada and the United States. And the claims in the message are as equally false in those countries as they are in Australia.

Thus, forwarding this misinformation will serve only to create unnecessary anger among Australian citizens and unwarranted resentment of refugees. If you receive this message, please do not pass it on to others and please let the sender know that the information it contains is untrue.

[Psyber]

So, does anybody have real figures?

[Lightning McQueen]

So, does anybody have real figures?

Eh, you don't?

[Psyber]

So, does anybody have real figures?

Eh, you don't?

I have no idea about pension and benefit rates as I've never drawn any, nor did my sister when I was managing her affairs before her death.
At the moment I'm a self-funded retiree, but I'm about to "unretire"...

[Wedgie]

So, does anybody have real figures?

Well without going through the various rates (and eligibility criteria as a lot aren't entitled to anything), here's a comparison of single rates, of course indiividual cases will dictate different rates because of different circs but this is a fair comparison:

Single Special Benefit: $453.30 per fortnight

Max Age Pension: $569.80 Basic Benefit + $6 Pharmaceutical Allowance + $111.20 Max Rent Assistance + $5.32 Telephone Allowance + $19.95 Utilities Allowance = $712.27 per fortnight
On top of that Age Pensioners can can advance $500 and can be eligible for a Pension Bonus Scheme which is a payable lump sum up to $34,814.80 + they're entitled to a Pension Concession Card, cheap/free travel, etc.

The Age Pension has a much better income and asset test too but in short the Age Pension for a single person will be up to $18519 per year, the single rate for Special Benefit would be up to $11785 per year.
Not quite the figures given in at the top of this thread.

There isn't even a hardship or spouse allowance, the author of those figures is so lazy they just copy and pasted crap from another country which isn't even correct in that country! Maybe they're after a job with the Advertiser?
In all seriousness, if you receive one of these emails make sure you let the sender know. I chastised my parents when they sent me a copy, ironically my step dad was an immigrant 60 odd years ago!
Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to this sort of crap that some people publish/send.
If in doubt check out the government websites, the information is all available fairly easily and quickly.

[Lunchcutter]

just off topic i know but i will usually check http://www.snopes.com/ before making my mind up on these types of emails...I abhor these emails whose intension is to invoke fear was very handy when verifying the glade air freshner, syringes in cinema seats, abductions in car parks using that stuff that knocks you out emails ..etc.... it really annoys me when people do not check their facts before publishing their views

[Wedgie]

just off topic i know but i will usually check http://www.snopes.com/ before making my mind up on these types of emails...I abhor these emails whose intension is to invoke fear was very handy when verifying the glade air freshner, syringes in cinema seats, abductions in car parks using that stuff that knocks you out emails ..etc.... it really annoys me when people do not check their facts before publishing their views

Good call Lunchcutter, I put my parents onto snopes and haven't received anymore dodgy emails from them. They always check there now.