Malcolm Turnbull’s plan to axe the Energy Supplement to 1.7 million Australians has been slammed by pensioner groups and community organisations.

Groups including National Social Security Rights Network, National Seniors, Catholic Social Services Australia, Carers Australia and Council on the Ageing have all called on the Turnbull Government to reverse its policy to cut the $365 a year Energy Supplement for new pensioners, people with disability, carers and people on Newstart.

Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said that the getting rid of the energy supplement would hurt Ipswich and Somerset Pensioners.

“Under the Turnbull Government, power bills have gone through the roof, with pensioners in particular feeling the pain.

“Yet Malcolm Turnbull seems to be trying his best to make life even harder for them.

“Scrapping the Energy Supplement will rob single pensioners and other vulnerable Australians of $14.10 a fortnight, or $365 a year of valuable assistance, whilst couple pensioners will be $21.20 a fortnight, or $550 a year worse off.

“This assistance goes a long way to helping pensioners cope with the rising cost of electricity, and without it, people will struggle to make ends meet.”

Mr Neumann said that Malcolm Turnbull needed to listen to the concerns of pensioners and advocacy groups and abandon his plans to cut the payment.

“As well as the many Pensioners concerned about how they’ll cope with the loss of the payment, groups including National Seniors, Carers Australia and the Australian Council of Social Services Australia have all lined up to urge the Government to drop this plan.

“It’s clearly time for the Turnbull Government to give up on its plan to axe the energy supplement.

“Unfortunately, Malcolm Turnbull seems intents on making pensioners and other vulnerable Australians pay for his $65 billion tax cut to big business.”