I just heard an interesting suggestion on Australia Talks http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/ that any increase in the aged pension should go towards rent assistance.

Seemed to me like a very sensible suggestion. I'm not sure how many pensioners are in the private rental market, but those that are must be suffering heavily, or have moved out to live with relatives. The caller was a pensioner who owned her own home, so it was an altruistic suggestion made from the point of view of someone who should know about the pressure of living on the pension.

I know that my rent has been rising at around 10% per annum for the last 4 or 5 years, which is well in advance of the rate of inflation. When I look around for somewhere else to rent I discover that what I pay is pretty much what everyone else in similar accommodation pays, no matter where they live.

But perhaps the number of pensioners in the private market is not that large, or other pensioners are suffering just as badly from other price rises. I'm interested in hearing about personal experiences as well as the stats.

Dear Graham,

My neighbour's mum gets rental assistance,
and it does help. However, she barely
survives on her current pension - so any
boost would greatly assist her day to day
living expenses.

I also believe that pensioners who are
renting are a minority. They need larger
pensions more than rental assistance.

Graham,just today I was speaking to a 64 yr old Bob Cat driver who has fallen on hard times in Sydney.He owns a house worth $800,000.00 in Sydney,yet his wife does not want to sell up because of the children who live not far away.There are many pensioners in Sydney who are asset rich but income poor,who don't want to relinquish family ties.

My solution is this.We need rapid transit train systems to regional areas so people like this can sell their most valuable asset and live in comfort in the country.Retirement farms in the country would give people like Arthur a whole new dimention to their lives.They could have a productive life in growing their own produce and still on weekends see their children/grandchildren via rapid train transport.

Arjay

How insensitive... Many elderly people rely on the family and friends to cope at home.

If they want to grow veggies I am sure they already are in their own gardens.
It seems to upset you the man owned his own house that no doubt he worked hard for all of his life.
I mean it’s not like the Government really look after these people that paid taxes on taxes all their lives.
People become very attached to their homes and neighbors. You can do them great harm by changing their environment, Drs

.Oh and of course we have so many good hospitals around and specialists in regional areas - or wherever you decided this special fast train might stop.
To increase rental assistance only helps the landlords when in fact home owners have far more bills to pay than renters.

What we could consider is to stop giving cash for others to abuse by run down the road and buy grog if they are alcoholics or drugs on their welfare day.

That would put a lot of money back in to be used elsewhere.

I can’t tell you how upsetting it was to read your comment. You clearly have a total disregard for senior’s rights and dignity.

Be at least a little realistic Arjay please.
$800.000 home? many pensioners live in on site caravans, and pay over half their income for the privilege.
Some single pensioners live under bridges, not by any means do all pensioners own a home.
I believe we should raise the pension, not maybe now the conservative push to turn their own policy's upside down is a ploy.
But rental assistance will just push rental prices up.
Town planning has a part to play we need much more single accommodation at affordable prices and less of the not in my back yard self interest.

The ANU in Canberra is experimenting with the idea of converting old shipping containers to house students on campus as Canberra has a fairly acute rental shortage. If the students do not have such accommodation provided, they either have to work a part-time job to get decent rental, thus detracting from their studies, or else live in a dive somehwere, which has a similar effect.

Why don't we think more laterally and provide lots more low-cost housing options for people? The days of the quarter-acre block are pretty much over. Make housing cheaper via a range of measures like reducing taxes and using cheaper, prefabricated materials, etc. Get rid of the unnecessary bells and whistles in constructing a home and cut out the unproductive hangers-on in the commercial world.