Pensioners respond to the 2020-21 NSW Budget
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
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
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.
No pension rise for the first time since 1931
12 August 2020
“Many pensioners, especially singles with the pension as their sole source of income, will be very disappointed that at the forthcoming September pension indexation their pension will not be increased to keep pace with the cost of living”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
Newmarch House crisis must end: transfer COVID-19 positive residents to hospital
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
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
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
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?’
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Publish nursing home staffing ratios, pensioners say
22 July 2019
Pensioners are calling on Federal MPs and Senators to support the Private Member’s Bill to be introduced into Federal Parliament today by South Australian Independent Rebekha Sharkie. The Bill makes it compulsory for nursing homes to publicly disclose their staffing ratios.
Beware of Government’s questionable deeming calculations
14 July 2019
The reductions in the deeming rates are obviously going to produce better outcomes for affected pensioners, but over-deeming will still be rife.
Queensland nursing home residents abandoned in act of extreme elder abuse: Disqualify People Care Ltd, pensioners say
12 July 2019
Queensland nursing home residents abandoned in act of extreme elder abuse: Disqualify People Care Ltd, pensioners say
RBA cut: Government must lower pension deeming rates now!
4 June 2019
With one interest rate now announced and another one or two coming, it’s time the Government reviewed the deeming rates used to assess the income pensioners get from their bank accounts and term deposits.
ACCC shows Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission the way on BUPA
16 April 2019
“The spanking new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has been shown up for what it is: an already tired re-iteration of its predecessor the Aged Care Quality Accreditation Agency and a watchdog lacking teeth and growl”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA).
Budget reply fails 185,000 Clayton’s Age Pensioners
5 April 2019
“While there were many good things in the Opposition’s Budget reply speech, it failed to say anything meaningful about Newstart, the Clayton’s Age Pension, which is the 60% pension you get when you don’t get a pension”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association.