Seniors
FaHCSIA assists retirees to make the best use of savings and investment to maintain their standard of living. FaHCSIA helps support the aged with limited means through the provision of income support and provides services for retired people. These services include:
- Income support payments:
- Benefits and Payments
- Pension Loan Scheme
- 2008 One-off Bonus Payments for Seniors
- Asset Test changes - Older rural homeowners
- Seniors in the workforce
- Future Planning for Sons and Daughters with Severe Disability
- Pension Bonus Scheme
- Financial Information Service (FIS)
- Age Pension and other income support payments made under International Social Security Agreements.
- Provision of funding to the National Information Centre on Retirement Investments (NICRI). NICRI is an independent body funded by a grant from FaHCSIA. Its charter is to provide the public with information on planning and saving for retirement, and on the features of different types of investment. NICRI does not provide investment advice.
What's New
Government response to the Senate Community Affairs Committee's report: A decent quality of life: Inquiry into the cost of living pressures on older Australians
The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, presented the Government response to the Senate Community Affairs Committee's report A decent quality of life: Inquiry into the cost of living pressures on older Australians to Parliament on 5 September 2008.The Senate Committee on Community Affairs released its report on 20 March 2008.
The Government response to the report addresses its 15 recommendations, covering a range of issues facing older Australians, including the adequacy of the base rate of pension, indexation arrangements, incentives for superannuation savings, reverse mortgages, concessions and rebates, housing, aged care, dental care, incentives for workforce participation, financial literacy and support for grandparents.
The Pension Review
On 15 May 2008, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, announced that Dr Jeff Harmer, the Secretary of her department, would lead a comprehensive review of the pension system as part of the Government's broader review of Australia's Future Tax System.Broadband for Seniors - Call for applications to deliver the $15 million program nationally - Now Closed
The call for applications from suitably qualified organisations to deliver the Broadband for Seniors program nationally is now closed. The department is currently assessing applications.Broadband for Seniors is part of a wider Australian Government initiative "Making Ends Meet - Plan for Older Australians, People with Disabilities and Carers".
The Australian Government is committing $15 million for Broadband for Seniors, to be delivered over 2008-09 to 2010-11.
The needs of older Australians wishing to be trained in the use of the internet will be met by the creation of approximately 2,000 seniors internet kiosks.
Publications
Service Delivery
The delivery of payments, services and customer information has been subcontracted to Centrelink.The Department of Veterans' Affairs also makes payments for a small number of customers on FaHCSIA's behalf.