MEDIA RELEASE
THE HON SHAYNE NEUMANN MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BLAIR
More local seniors are set to receive Federal Government assistance with their power bills, with all Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders eligible for up to $500 per household in energy price relief.
Since November, when the Albanese Labor Government introduced higher income thresholds for eligibility for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, an additional 16,230 Australians have been granted access to the card who would not otherwise have been eligible, including 2,730 in Queensland.
This energy bill relief for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders and other eligible Australians is just one part of the Government’s targeted and responsible Energy Price Relief Plan, which sets out to combat increases to energy prices across the country.
The Plan will consist of the Government taking action to limit the price of gas and coal used for electricity generation, focus on investment into cleaner, cheaper and reliable energy for the future, and provide much needed energy bill relief for Australian households and businesses.
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said from July 2023, this relief will help older Australians in his electorate deal with increases in the cost of living.
“We are delivering on our commitments to do what we can as a government to ease cost of living pressures and help older Australians in Ipswich, the Somerset Region and Karana Downs area keep more money in their pockets,” he said.
“More pensioners and veterans in my community than ever before are saving on healthcare costs since we delivered on our election commitment to increase the income limits for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card last year.”
On 4 November 2022, the income limits were increased to $90,000 for singles and $144,000 for couples (combined), the largest increase in more than 20 years. Initial projections were that an additional 52,000 older Australians would benefit by 2026-27.
“It’s great that in six months of the new income threshold limits being in place, so many older Australians have received access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card,” Mr Neumann said.
“Since those changes in November last year, more than 2,700 Queenslanders have been granted access who would have previously been ineligible.
“Not only will these changes mean access to benefits like bulk billing, cheaper medicines and concession card rates, it will mean more seniors will also receive our energy bill relief announced in the Budget.
“Our hope is this rate of take-up continues and more older Australians continue to take advantage of these increased income limits in the years to come.”
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card provides access to Australian Government health concessions, including concessional co-payments for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines, the concessional thresholds for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Safety Net and the Extended Medicare Safety Net, and bulk-billed visits to a General Practitioner.
For more information on the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and eligibility, or to apply online, visit the Services Australia website: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/commonwealth-seniors-health-card
For more information on the Energy Bill Relief Fund, visit the Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment and Water’s website: https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund
