Make NSW Regional Seniors Travel Card permanent, say pensioners to Govt , Opposition
Published 3 March 2023
CPSA calls on the NSW Government and the NSW Opposition to commit to making the NSW Regional Seniors Travel Card permanent.
Pensioners welcome a solid interim Budget
Published 25 October 2022
A Budget that has little in the way of one-off, special measures that benefit pensioners specifically, but a solid lead-up to the May 2023 Budget with many measures announced previously now funded and lined up for implementation.
BUDGET 2022: Cost-of-living relief for pensioners but for how long?
Published 30 March 2022
Media release
Social housing going backwards in NSW
Published 8 September 2021
In NSW spending on social housing is down, social housing as a proportion of total housing is down but the waiting list for social housing is also down, how is that possible? Some moves by the NSW Government play a large part.
Budget 2021: New aged care funding disappoints, but a few green shoots
Published 12 May 2021
CPSA's response to the 2021 Budget.
Stopping aged care neglect can’t wait until the May Budget
Published 1 March 2021
The Government's initial response to the Royal Commission's final report shows the Government isn't taking problems in aged care seriously.
$3.57 daily Jobseeker raise slap in face of unemployed, young and old
Published 23 February 2021
After years of campaigning and despite everyone agreeing a meaningful increase to Newstart, now called Jobseeker, was needed urgently, the Australian Government has come up with a miserly increase of $50 a fortnight.
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.
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.
Permanent Supplement for the poorest pensioners
Published 19 August 2020
“CPSA urges the Australian Government to provide an additional permanent Pension Hardship Supplement for the poorest pensioners, singles without assets and without private income. The living standard of single pensioners with the pension as their sole source of income hovers just above the poverty line.", said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
Newmarch House crisis must end: transfer COVID-19 positive residents to hospital
Published 7 May 2020
The only sure way of stopping new infections at Newmarch House is by transferring COVID-19 positive residents to hospital and by giving the home a deep-clean so that residents not infected can safely stay at a place that had a good reputation locally before the virus got in.
Hibernating aged care watchdog needs to wake up: pensioners
Published 16 April 2020
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has suspended its regular compliance monitoring of nursing homes, replacing it with a ‘risk-based approach’, which appears to depend heavily on telephone contact and contact via Skype and Zoom with nursing homes. This means that the ACQSC to all intents and purposes has stopped entering nursing homes to do its statutory job of protecting nursing home residents when arguably their needs are highest given the coronavirus crisis.
Stimulus should benefit 185,000 seniors on Newstart and anyone else on Newstart
Published 6 March 2020
“Now is the time to give the poorest of the poor a meaningful rise in their Newstart Allowance, which tracks 40% below the pension for singles and 27% for couples”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
Pensioners want Government action on mandatory nursing home staffing levels now
Published 27 February 2020
Pensioners call on the Australian Government to act immediately to fix the crisis in nursing home staffing following the recommendations of Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Government missing in aged care action for 20 years: Royal Commission fails to tell us ‘how come?’
Published 31 October 2019
The Aged Care Royal Commission’s Interim Report published today is very clear about the fact that successive Governments have done nothing to fix the very serious and grave problems afflicting aged care for well over twenty years, but the Interim Report fails to identify the reasons for Government inaction. While those reasons remain hidden, the problems in aged care cannot be resolved
NSW Deputy Premier calls on Federal Government to reconsider position on Newstart
Published 24 October 2019
Minister John Barilaro has suggested the Federal Government reconsider their position on Newstart today at NCOSS’s 'Putting Regional Needs on the Map' event and he has CPSA's support.
Rogue Bupa Eden nursing home in 11th hour escape
Published 19 August 2019
Who needs action movies, when Australian residential aged care offers cliff hangers like this: Bupa is reaccredited hours before it was to lose its accreditation!
Bupa Eden nursing home goes rogue
Published 16 August 2019
The official accreditation of the Bupa Eden nursing home expires on 16 August 2019, with Bupa Eden set to continue operations without regulatory oversight.
Memo to Craig Kelly MP: Pensioner family home is already asset tested
Published 24 July 2019
It seems to be a little known fact, but the family home is already included in pension means testing.
Raise the rate of Newstart: 185,000 over-55s are on it
Published 22 July 2019
Pensioners have one simple message to their federal politicians: raise the rate of Newstart, because it’s too low for everyone, including 185,000 Australians over-55, many of whom will never be able find work again.