7 years ago
TURNBULL’S PLAN TO AXE ENERGY SUPPLEMENT SLAMMED
SENATOR CAROL BROWN ACTING SHADOW MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES
Malcolm Turnbull’s plan to axe the Energy Supplement to 1.7 million Australians has been slammed by pensioner groups and community organisations.
In just two months, on 20 September, Mr Turnbull wants to axe the Energy Supplement for new pensioners, people with disability, carers and people on Newstart.
Submissions to a Senate Inquiry examining the proposed cut show there is no support for Malcolm Turnbull’s unfair plan to axe the Energy Supplement.
“Abolishing the Energy Supplement will have a harsh and unfair impact on new income support recipients.”
[if !supportLists]- [endif]National Social Security Rights Network
“National Seniors views the Energy Supplement as critical to maintaining a basic standard of living in light of ongoing and extraordinary increases in electricity prices and therefore sees no rational justification for the cessation of the Energy Supplement.”
National Seniors
National Seniors
“The decision to remove the Supplement in the face of increasing energy costs is simply wrong.”
Catholic Social Services Australia
“It does not meet the standard expected by the Australian community in regard to fairness and equity, and will increase economic hardship and suffering for an already modestly or in the case of Newstart poorly supported cohort of Australians.”
Council on the Ageing (COTA)
“Carers Australia recommends that the Energy Supplement should continue to be paid to new income support recipients who face electricity and gas prices that are increasing at a far higher rate than indexation to their income support payments.”
Carers Australia
“If the Energy Supplement is abolished, Newstart will be lower than it would have been had there been no compensation introduced for the carbon price in 2013. ACOSS strongly opposes the removal of the Energy Supplement…”
ACOSS
If Mr Turnbull gets his way single pensioners will see their pension cut by $14.10 per fortnight or $365 a year.
Couple pensioners will be $21.20 a fortnight worse off or around $550 a year worse off.
Power bills have gone through the roof under the Turnbull Government.
Yet Mr Turnbull wants to make life harder for pensioners and vulnerable Australians by axing the Energy Supplement.
Pensioners don’t support axing the Energy Supplement.
People with disability don’t support axing the Energy Supplement.
Carers don’t support axing the Energy Supplement.
It’s time for Malcolm Turnbull to abandon his plan to axe the Energy Supplement to pensioners, people with disability, carers and people on Newstart.