Hey Paul1405,
"talk of cashless welfare payments being the go"

The person 'who didn't get the job' is already a loser under capitalism.
I won't support further dehumanision with food stamps.
I support skills, training and a system with better opportunities;
And learning to make good decisions in the first place.

"At present it is proposed that the eligibility age be increased"

Maybe, yes;
But only in concert with longer average lifespan;
And not done unfairly for budget tightening.

"With so many healthy old people on the pension a 'Seniors National Service' scheme is in order, where there is a requirement of a minimum of 20 hours work per week for those that can do a little"

Not on a compulsory basis.
Yes, on a Voluntary basis.

"A payment of $2/hr for work performed as a bonus on top of the $20 pension payment"

No, that's an insult to people who may given their lives working for this country, but only ever lived on a week to week budget.
A fairer amount would be $10hr.

"on the cashless debit card would be ideal (no alcohol, no gambling, no drugs of any kind)."

No cashless card, treat them with dignity, pay them into their bank for their work, to be withdrawn in cash if they choose like anyone else and if they want to spend it on drink, drugs or gambling that's up to them, because they earned it.

You don't pay them $2 hr and then nanny them on how they can and cant spend it.
(You might as well just spit in their faces and legislate that too.)

But - you give them the option where they can choose to have help managing their finances with limits on withdrawals, money moved to sub accounts and automatic payments of regular expenses.

"The PBS and other subsidies given need to be reduced or removed."
Some maybe, but you must look on a case by case basis.
There's a many areas of waste by government to look at before we should consider taking away essential medicines on the PBS for elderly pensioners.

Hi AC,

Thanks for the contribution. The problem with access to supa and home purchase is not the here and now, but down the track at retirement when Government assess a person for a pension. With the one and only real asset being the home purchased through supa, how's it to be treated/assessed, Government is more than likely to means test it and reduce any pension payment. BTW many of the young folk in my family would jump at the chance to use their supa in that way.

The PBS is also a growing financial burden, one the growing number of people who are heavily subsidised, and the ever expanding number of drugs covered by the system.

On the score of voluntary work, I would like to see older Australians given the opportunity to participate where they can. Many do participate now through private organisations, but with the growing numbers of retired more opportunity is warranted.

With many on the Forum in the older age bracket, and many I dare say on the Aged pension, to me they are the lucky ones, its down hill from here on in as far as benefits are concerned if nothing is done to make the system sustainable in the long term.

All this tosh about people living longer doesn't hold water, either. What sort of 'living'? Sustained by medical science - drugs and medical procedures; failing eyesight and hearing; joints screaming with arthritis.

Ageism is rife. Even if you want to work, employers don't want you. Western society doesn't respect age or experience - something very evident on this site. There's a current commercial on TV, with a voiceover announcing that 'age is just a number', pretty much summing up the ignorance of the young and beautiful when it comes to age.

Hey Paul;
I don't really have an opinion on the home issues you raised.

Ethically I think if someone worked all their lives to pay for their home with their own money they earned after a tax component was already taken out, then I don't think anyone has a right to take it from them, they did their bit for the country and deserve their pension as well.

Too many charlatans are using 'exploiting the elderly under capitalism' to scrape back what they've as it is, I think.

Even their super is essentially their money, but if it's tied up in a house then there's no money for the super funding of their retirement.
I'm not sure what the answer is here, but I think it's good people can access their super to buy a house in the first instance;

- But I'm all grey area after that for the people that did -

If you look ook at it another way, people who access their super under hardship won't have nothing for their retirement and they'll still want a pension, right?

On that basis, one could ALMOST make the argument that for those who made slightly better choices and accessed super for a house are being punished as compared to those who did not make better decisions and accessed super for hardship and just spent it on existing debts.

Like I said, 'grey area', I don't know.

Paul & AC,

What if there was a sort of superannuation 'cushion' in relation to paying off a house - that, say, ten years' super has to be left alone to accrue interest/dividends, as a safeguard for one's old age- while the rest (or part of it, up to a certain house-price limit) could go exclusively to paying off a house ?

Just wondering.

As well, in relation to pensionable age, perhaps those who have worked physically all their lives, on their feet, bending their backs - like factory workers, teachers, nurses, etc. - could be able to retire early, say at sixty, while those who have spent, let's say, 80 % of their daily work-time sitting, should be expected to to go until they're seventy five ?

Sounds fair.

Joe

TTBN, you are wrong. Many many older people are working, some well into their 70s. I myself worked as a nurse until 65 and had I not grandchildren in my care, could have easily worked until I was 70. And I know many nurses who worked well into their 60s, some up to 70. And of course, plenty of older doctors.
Most farmers work until they are absolutely incapable, and that’s usually into their 70s.
Small business owners, administration staff, teachers etc. many of whom work well into their 60s.
And look at the age of politicians.
I agree that finding a new job when you are older is not so easy but this is why workers need to keep abreast of modern technology and change jobs as they get older so they aren’t doing heavy physical work, although, as I said, farmers keep up with heavy work.
If it requires going back to TAFE at night to gain new skills, then that’s what it takes.