COVID-19: Smart phone confusion
Published 18 November 2020
The NSW Customer Services Minister put out a media release on QR codes which said that effectively smart phones would be mandatory if you wanted to go for a coffee somewhere. When that was reported, the media release changed!
Are you living in energy poverty?
Published 18 November 2020
The University of Technology is doing research on how Age Pensioners cope with energy costs and is asking age pensioners to make themselves available for interview.
Pensioners respond to the 2020-21 NSW Budget
Published 17 November 2020
The NSW COVID-19 Budget brings a lot less social housing to the state than needed, but there are some good things as well.
Pension indexation next time round: what will happen?
Published 11 November 2020
Will the pension go up in March next year or won't it? Difficult to say, but looking at inflation and cost-of-living numbers for the September 2020 quarter, it might.
IMF: Tax cuts for workers, hikes for pensioners
Published 11 November 2020
Would it be it right for the Australian Government to be fast tracking personal income and corporate tax cuts costing $50 billion while increasing GST and introducing land tax for all? Yes, says the International Monetary Fund.
Can you insure yourself against death?
Published 11 November 2020
Insurance is for unlikely or rare mishaps, and insurance companies make money because most people who insure themselves will never claim. [more]
Medical Cost Finder “put on ice”: COVID-19
Published 4 November 2020
COVID-19 is fast developing into the new the-dog-ate-my-homework excuse. Even the Department of Health's Medical Cost Finder website has succumbed to the a virus that is a procrastinator's dream.
NSW Regional Seniors Transport Card: What’s regional and what’s not?
Published 4 November 2020
The NSW Regional Seniors Transport Card is worth $250 a year but you have to live regionally. The NSW Government's approach compared with the Australian Bureau of Statics' approach to what constitutes 'regional' produces some interesting results. [more]
Aged care: when being a protected person means you can be evicted
Published 4 November 2020
Informal carers of people moving into a nursing home can keep living in their house as a "protected person", but just how protected is protected?
How aged care needs to change: It will be written
Published 28 October 2020
Counsel Assisting the Aged Care Royal Commission have made their final submissions, making a raft of recommendations that would bring aged care in Australia up to scratch if implemented. Full implementation rather than watered-down implementation will be the next battle-ground for aged care advocates. [more]
Government sticks with useless medical costs finder website
Published 21 October 2020
The Australian Government's Medical Costs Finder website is so conspicuously inadequate as a consumer information tool, you're left wondering if it's intentional. It is certain, though, that throwing another $17 million at it will not make it fit for purpose. [more]
Tax break to prevent elder abuse: granny flats
Published 21 October 2020
Granny flat arrangements can go horribly wrong and when they do, older people can be literally left homeless. [more]
Are you eating right?
Published 21 October 2020
Malnutrition is slow killer of older people inside and outside nursing homes. It's a good idea to make sure your diet keeps you as healthy and fit as possible.
JobSeeker or pre-Age Pension?
Published 14 October 2020
The longer a person is unemployed, the more difficult it becomes for them to find a suitable job, or even an unsuitable one. Social security arrangements acknowledge this on the one hand, but on the other compel people to keep looking when it is clear they're not going to find anything. [more]
Cutting a path through the comparator website jungle
Published 14 October 2020
Comparator websites allow consumers to find the best deals on a range of goods and services, but sometimes they don't. How do you find out if you're being misled?
A disappointing budget for older people – Federal Budget 2020
Published 7 October 2020
Lot's of roads but you can't live in roads. You can in social housing. However, despite widespread calls for social housing construction projects there was no money for those at all. Plus: not enough Home Care Packages.
Aged care indictment and cure: Royal Commission’s COVID-19 aged care report
Published 7 October 2020
Why has it taken a pandemic to expose the lack of infection control and prevention methods in the aged care industry? Why, nine months into the pandemic, is there still not a national aged care plan for COVID-19?
Financial abuse of older people takes many forms
Published 7 October 2020
COVID-19 has shown that the protection of older, vulnerable people is often careless. Some industries, such as the legal sector, are taking proactive steps to identify and report cases of elder abuse especially in regard to the financial abuse of older people. [more]
Release Royal Commission’s COVID-19 aged care report immediately
Published 1 October 2020
Delays and inaction by the Australian Government have got aged care to where it is today: in crisis. The Australian Government should break with this tradition of prevarication and immediately release the Aged Care Royal Commission’s report on COVID-19 in aged care. [more]
What the Budget must do for older Australians
Published 30 September 2020
Maybe one-off payments, maybe new pension indexation mechanisms, maybe unrestricted supply of aged care, the 6 October Budget will have lots of things in it.
Stay up to date with CPSA news and media releases
Our regular email newsletter provides valuable insights and information on topics such as pension entitlements, healthcare, government policies, and more.