By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Two dollars a day.
For Dandenong pensioner Danny Johnson, the latest pension increase doesn’t cut it.
With rising utility and medication expenses, he says he sometimes has to go without food or resort to a short-term loan.
“During lockdown, the supermarket has put the prices up.
“Sometimes you don’t eat properly for a fortnight.
“It’s hard to survive.”
Touted as the biggest rise since 2014, aged and disability pensioners and carers received an extra $14.80 a fortnight for singles and $22.40 for couples from 20 September.
Mr Johnson’s base pension rises to nearly $870 a fortnight.
Further, some are eligible for a further $85 fortnightly pension supplement and energy supplement.
JobSeeker and Parenting payments also rose under the indexation.
Living by himself, Mr Johnson says he’s grateful to have a roof over his head.
He knows an old friend who can’t afford his unit’s rent and is “living on the street”.
“There’s an awful lot of homelessness in Australia. But we’re too embarrassed to say something – we get told we’re whinging.”
Due to Federal cuts to welfare agencies and food relief programs, he’s eligible to an $80 food voucher once every six months or so
Politicans don’t understand pensioners’ hardship, Mr Johnson says.
“MPs get a golden handshake when they leave. I’d give them my pension for a fortnight and see how they try and live off it.
“It wouldn’t pay their bar tab.”
During a Covid lockdown in August 2020, a snapshot survey by Tenants Victoria found 67 per cent of Greater Dandenong renters experienced rental stress.
Recently, Launch Housing general manager Dr Andrew Hollows told Star Journal there was a shortage of affordable housing in Greater Dandenong, particularly rentals for singles.
For a “half-decent” rental, a household needs more than one person’s income, Dr Hollows says.
“If you’re on a Centrelink payment or casual employment, it means that the numbers don’t stack up.”
Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said the pension rises ensured pensioners, jobseekers and others “maintain their purchasing power”.
“This is putting money in the pockets of all Australians who rely on our social security system and, in particular, older Australians,” Ms Ruston said.
Last year, pensioners received $2000 in Covid economic support payments. An extra $50 per fortnight was also added to the JobSeeker rate.
More than five million Australians were eligible for the allowances.
