Residents Bob Burns and Peter Garbett chat with La Trobe MP Jason Wood about pension reform. 22839 Picture: Meagan Rogers. By Jade Lawton and Callan Date
A BERWICK man is calling for a fair go for pensioners.
Bob Burns, 68, has made a submission to the pension review board asking for the pension for couples to be increased by $100 a week.
The aged pension couple rate is $469.50 per person each fortnight. Single pensioners get $562.10 per fortnight.
Local MP Jason Wood recently sat down with Mr Burns and some fellow pensioners to discuss the pension amount.
Mr Burns, who is the president of the Narre Warren Chamber of Commerce, has also suggested the singles pension be increased to 75 percent of the couples’ pension, and that the wage threshold be reviewed.
“You just can’t survive on the pension. I am talking basic survival, not having a lifestyle or anything,” he said.
Bob and his wife Jean will buy a seniors meal from the pub once every couple of months.
The couple mainly survives on pasta, sausages, rissoles, and occasionally a small steak.
“It would be very rare for us to have a roast. If we do, we would try to make it last at least three meals,” he said.
“We probably live at half the standard we did when we had four kids and I was working three jobs.”
Mr Wood said he would not be able to survive on the aged pension.
“The most dire and pressing need is the singles rate which should immediately be raised by $30 per week as a starting point,” Mr Wood said.
“My pension guide, which goes out this week, calls on pensioners to sign one of the largest ever petitions tabled in Federal Parliament to get the Rudd Government to act now instead of stalling.”
Mr Burns is thankful they do not have to contend with the added pressures of renting.
“We are fortunate to own our own house, but we will eventually have to take a reverse-mortgage and sell off the place bit by bit. If we had to rent, I don’t think we would live very long because we couldn’t take the stress.”
Mr Burns’ protests coincide with two parliamentary inquiries into the size of meals served at Parliament House.
