Commonwealth

Welcome to the About Seniors Australian Commonwealth Government page. Here you will find information and resources on the various seniors' services provided by the Australian Government through the departments of FACS, Health and Ageing and Veterans’ Affairs. Whether you are a senior or not, this page will provide you with relevant information! Centrelink also delivers services and is a source of information on matters financial. Here we feature the ‘need to know’ shortcuts to government departments and what they can offer you or your family.

We feature the latest news from the Federal Government on the Pension increases on our Pension News page, while our Centrelink page is updated weekly with relevant questions and answers from readers, answered by Centrelink!

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Victorian Bushfires - Assistance after bushfires

If you have been affected by the recent fires, you may need support, whether it be medical, emotional or financial. The Department of Human Services has information on which support is available and how it can be accessed. You can also register your services if you are in a position to assist those affected.

Do you need financial assistance?
Do you need help coping with stress?
Do you need health information?
Do you need to find a relief or recovery centre?
Do you want to offer your help?

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No pennies for pensioners

$42 billion worth of relief from the Federal Government – and not a penny for pensioners? As we finalise this edition the Rudd Government’s Nation Building package has been announced – but where is the relief for those on the lowest income of all? The short answer is that there isn’t any.
Described as a Nation Building and Jobs plan, it sadly seems to overlook those who have already contributed heavily to nation building – and because of a lack of compulsory savings plans, educational opportunities, fragmented work history and/or carer obligations simply do not have enough independent income. The focus, instead, is strong on students, farmers and working families (whoever they are?) but no support is offered to those on Centrelink benefits. We all know the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) is taking its toll – but why should those with the least suffer the most? Today the Commonwealth Bank announced a $2 billion profit – hard to understand the banks are front of mind for government support, isn’t it?
Read the details of the new relief package here and feel free to do what the Prime Minister suggests, and send him an email with your views.

Estimates from all western economies now indicate that ageing populations are both structural and long term – which means that temporary economic downturns can’t change the excellent long-term prospects for mature workers. This situation was the focal point of the Reinventing Retirement Asia conference in Singapore in early January. Kaye was lucky enough to attend and hear the views of various experts from around the world. They all were in general agreement that the value of the older worker has never been higher. Some governments are leading the charge (e.g. Singapore) with extensive programs to keep older workers supported both in the workplace and with training opportunities. Read some of the papers which were presented.

Why not have your say now in our Meeting Place.

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Work at any age

The Age Discrimination ACT 2004 has been amended to provide greater legal protection against discrimination for older Australians.

Attorney General, Robert McClelland, and Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, have announced that the “dominant reason” test will be removed from the act as a result of recommendations from a bipartisan report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs ‘Older People and the Law’.  Recommended in 2007, the Rudd Government intends to introduce the amendment into Parliament later this year.  The act will be amended so that a person need only show that their age was one of the reasons they were discriminated against. This will harmonise the Act with other federal unlawful discrimination laws.

For more information, visit the Department of Health and Ageing or view the Age Discrimination Act 2004.