Social Security and Superannuation updates for 2020
Published 28 January 2020
HERE are some of the retirement income changes that will come in in 2020 with older people now on Newstart moving to the equally miserly and misleadingly named Jobseeker Allowance.
Downsides and upsides of downsizing
Published 28 January 2020
IT doesn't tell us anything anyone following this issue doesn't know, but the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) report looking into the issue of retirees downsizing from the family home into something smaller gives a good overview of the reasons people do and don't downsize. [more]
Government’s response to Royal Commission interim report won’t solve decades of Government aged care neglect
Published 26 November 2019
Successive Governments have neglected aged care and turned it into the mess it is today. The measures announced by the Prime Minister on 25 November 2019 only seem to take the waiting list for the Home Care Packages program seriously. [more]
BEGGING TO DIFFER: Aged Care Royal Commission Nails It
Published 22 November 2019
The Aged Care Royal Commission's interim Report Neglect has left absolutely no wriggle room for Government and industry to pretend that the aged care system is sound at heart. Yes, there is a systemic problem. In fact, there are many. [more]
Early action on home care
Published 22 November 2019
The Department of Health is taking early action to maximise the number of Home Care Packages.
Billions extra: the cost of good aged care for everyone
Published 22 November 2019
Aged care is in terrible shape, but how much would it cost to rehabilitate it? An estimate.
Gold Coast nursing home forced evacuation: report out
Published 22 November 2019
On 11 July 2019, sixty-nine residents at the Earle Haven nursing home on the Gold Coast were evacuated without warning due to a commercial dispute between the approved provider and the subcontractor actually providing the care.
Australia’s glorious retirement income system, really?
Published 22 November 2019
For ordinary Australians to have a chance of a retirement as adequately funded as retirements in The Netherlands and Denmark, the compulsory contribution rate needs to go up to 12 per cent pronto.
Newstart liquid asset test set to wring you out some more
Published 22 November 2019
Not only is Newstart set at a rate which can't sustain life, the Government wants to absolutely make sure that you've spent your last cent before giving it you.
Super lost and franking credits wasted
Published 22 November 2019
During the great franking credit debate much was made of retail and industry funds' ability to still fully utilise franking credits, something your typical SMSF would not have been able to do had the new policy been implemented. Turns out retail and industry funds can't as a rule be bothered with franking credits and anything to do with income tax. [more]
Advance Care Directive pitfalls
Published 22 November 2019
Doctors tend not to be all that keen on Advance Care Directives. It is prudent to assume that they will take any excuse to ignore your Advance Care Directive if they think they have a better idea.
60,000 will die waiting for home care: forward estimates
Published 24 October 2019
Approximately half the home care waiting list will die waiting for care even though the numbers on it have fallen for the first time. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of packages remain in administrative limbo.
Financial collapse of nursing home industry narrowly averted
Published 24 October 2019
The Australian Government cut $2 billion out of residential aged care, then hastily gave some of that money back to avoid tens of thousands of frail and elderly being turfed out onto the street.
Royal Commission: nursing home staffing light years behind the rest of the world
Published 24 October 2019
A RESEARCH paper by the Aged Care Royal Commission has found that residential aged care in Australia is grossly understaffed when compared internationally and that the majority of nursing homes provide bad care. Please note: that's the Royal Commission saying it, not CPSA for a change. [more]
The not-a-retirement-income review
Published 24 October 2019
The Australian Government has fearlessly announced an independent review of retirement income policy settings, but has at the same time re-assured those affected that absolutely no changes will occur as a result of this review.
Minister: people on the dole are druggies and alkies
Published 24 October 2019
A Social Services Minister not suggesting, but actually saying that people on Newstart waste their money on illegal drugs and alcohol? Yep, this is Australia, which is about to introduce drug and alcohol testing for the unfortunate people who rely on Newstart for survival. [more]
Rent assistance must be increased: Productivity Commission
Published 24 October 2019
If even the Productivity Commission is saying that Commonwealth Rent Assistance should be increased, then things are dire!
NSW Pensioner council rebate is here to stay – for now
Published 24 October 2019
The NSW Government portrays itself as a staunch defender of the Pensioner Council Rate Rebate, which hasn't been indexed for close to a quarter of a century.
Default electricity contracts provide savings
Published 24 October 2019
Action on default electricity contracts may be tinkering at the edges at a time when energy prices are sky high, but consumers can save.
Despite changes funeral insurance still a rip off
Published 24 October 2019
There are two types of funeral insurance: funeral life insurance policies and funeral expenses policies. Both are bad ideas and should be avoided.
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