Payment Increase for Age Pensioners in Wide Bay
8th September, 2014
Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, today said that single age pensioners will receive an increase of up to $11.50 per fortnight, and age pensioner couples will receive up to $17.40 extra per fortnight, when the Age Pension payment rates rise from 20 September.“Total pension payments for people on the maximum rate of the Age Pension will rise to $854.30 a fortnight for singles, and $1,288.00 a fortnight for couples,” Mr Truss said.
“There are 20,985 people who receive the Age Pension in Wide Bay.
“There will also be increases to income support payments such as Newstart and Parenting Payment on 20 September.
“Single recipients of Parenting Payment will receive an extra $7.20 per fortnight, increasing the payment to $732.30 per fortnight. Newstart Allowance, Parenting Payment Partnered, Widow Allowance, Partner Allowance and Sickness Allowance will increase by $5.20 a fortnight for singles and $4.70 each for couples,” Mr Truss said.
“The Government recognises that rising costs of living are a concern, particularly for people on low and fixed incomes, so these pension and benefit increases will provide some extra support. The Government has also moved to ease cost of living pressures by scrapping the carbon tax, while retaining the carbon tax compensation measures.
“Pensions will continue to increase in March and September every year under the Coalition Government.
“This is on top of our election commitment to annually index the income thresholds for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card to CPI, so that more people will have access to the card,” Mr Truss said.
Full details of all rates and thresholds to be indexed on 20 September can be found at http://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/benefits-payments/indexation-rates-september-2014.
