4 years ago
ONE MILLION DSP AND CARERS PAYMENTS FROZEN
BILL SHORTEN MP
Over one million disability support pensions and carers payments will be subjected to the Government’s pension freeze.
On Sunday, for the first time in 23 years, the pension was not indexed.
The pension is typically indexed twice a year on 20 March and 20 September.
The freeze will impact over 754,000 disability support pensioners and almost 295,000 carers:
On Sunday, for the first time in 23 years, the pension was not indexed.
The pension is typically indexed twice a year on 20 March and 20 September.
The freeze will impact over 754,000 disability support pensioners and almost 295,000 carers:
- In New South Wales – over 239,000 DSP pensioners and over 108,000 carers;
- In Victoria – almost 184,000 DSP pensioners and over 72,000 carers;
- In Queensland – over 158,000 DSP pensioners and over 59,000 carers;
- In South Australia – over 66,000 DSP pensioners and almost 23,000 carers;
- In Western Australia – almost 57,000 DSP pensioners and almost 19,000 carers;
- In Tasmania – over 27,000 DSP pensioners and over 9,000 carers;
- In the Northern Territory – over 8,000 DSP pensioners and over 1,800 carers;
- In the Australian Capital Territory – over 8,400 DSP pensioners and almost 1,800 carers.
It will have been a whole year – at the very least – since pensioners last saw their payments indexed.
These aren’t ordinary times.
For many people with disability and carers, costs are higher at the moment – things like higher energy bills from staying at home, extra transport costs from avoiding public transport, grocery home delivery charges, missing out on shopping at the markets for specials, and extra health costs.
Labor is calling on the Government to immediately end its freeze of the pension.