On Wednesday, YourLifeChoices Founder Kaye Fallick discussed the 2025–2026 Federal Budget and its implications for Australian seniors.
It has, understandably, stirred up a heated discussion. Here’s a look at some thoughts directly from YourLifeChoices readers.
The good:
‘Deferring the deeming will help, and I hope we get another 12 months.’
‘$150 off the energy bill is the extent of this budget for me.’
And, well, that was it…
The bad:
‘I worry that the amount of admin under the new Aged Care Act is going to overwhelm the Aged Care homes.’
‘I’m $6 better off for the year. However, with food prices increasing almost daily and no guarantee that energy prices won’t go up again in the next 12 months, not only am I worse off than three years ago, I’m going to be worse off again over the next three years.’
The general consensus:
‘There was basically nothing in this budget for pensioners. The basic pension rate is now alarmingly low, and the rent assistance support is out of touch with housing prices – I couldn’t afford the rent in a major city.’
‘What’s in it for pensioners can be summed up in 1 word “nothing”.’
‘There is little or nothing in this budget for pensioners. Labor has become like the LNP and has stopped looking after the aged and infirm properly.
The latest indexation rise of about $2 a week to cover price increases over the past six months is a cruel joke on every pensioner because the reality is way different.’
‘Whilst I understand that deeming rates will effect a % of pensioners, there are many of us who can only dream of an investment that could be ‘deemed’. Those of us in that category can only look at $150 energy supplement because there’s absolutely nothing else of benefit.’
‘Why do politicians hate pensioners so much? There is absolutely nothing in the budget for pensioners; the increase in the pension will not touch the sides of the increase in cost of living, and yet money is being thrown at other members of the community. This is an election budget, and don’t think the opposition will be any better.’
The solution:
‘Pensioners should all be putting the ALP and LNP last this election. There are a lot of other choices to give your first preference to in most electorates, some of whom are actually human.’
‘My advice to current Labor is that they need to get back to their roots and stop playing populist politics and putting themselves first instead of those who put them into office.’
‘The National Seniors Australia, in their proposal to the government for the next budget, suggested that ALL pensioners receive a $10/15 per day increase in our payments ‘just to keep up with the everyday increases in our expenses’ – where’s any consideration for this? Even a $5/7.50 per day increase would have been something!’
‘I like suggestions by the Greens to fix the tax system: currently, one in three companies pay NO tax in this country and if that were to be fixed then there would be more money in the budget to adequately fix Medicare (including the possibility of adding dental to it), give those on income support a meaningful increase.’
‘The only surefire way to fix energy prices is to bring them back into govt hands, all these rebates do is nibble at the edges and the power companies get rich off the back of it and push prices higher still. A couple of years ago, the wholesale price for electricity fell by 70%, but prices actually went up by 15%; if the assets (for which is an essential service) were in govt. hands then they could set the price and not be dependent on external factors but again neither party want to make that tough call.’
‘All companies earning money (profit) in Australia should be paying their fair share of tax.’
It’s clear we’re all left feeling the same way: disheartened.
It’s not too late to have your say. Do you expect anything to change in your life as a result of the Budget?
Read more here: Federal Budget 2025-2026: What YourLifeChoices readers need to know.
Budget…what budget?
Yes Peter what Budget. My disability pension went up by 4.70. Govt has totally forgot about us oldies. They just don’t care. I can’t wait for May 3rd to vote definitely not Labor.
Me too, ours went up $3.62. I wonder if the other side will be any different though. Promises promises but when they get in they are just like the last one we voted out.
It was a precursor to an election campaign where there is cost of living relief and additional help for everyone; except aged pensioners. Shows how little respect there is for us and what we built that these people are hell-bent on destroying.
According to the ABS, there are over 4.5M of us over the Aged Pension age. That is over 16% and if we vote for our wellbeing, a serious voting bloc. Wonder if any party (or even independent) will seek our votes?
Currently both major parties and the Greens want us gone. Read their manifestos. We hold too much underutilized property, we supposedly cost the country a lot (although this ignores the years of taxes we paid, unlike many other recipients) and we seem to be an unpopular group no-one want to acknowledge.
Go figure. I’ll keep going to spite them all. The Country needs some voices of reason!
I hear a lot of pensioners complaining about not getting enough from the government, well hello it was up to you to really save when you were working so you’d have money when it came time. My wife and I saved and went without so we’d not have to rely so much on a handout and we went without things so this could happen. I spoke to a 30 year old today and he hasn’t even thought about saving money for his retirement but thinks nothing of spending $100 a week drinking.
More people need to take responsibility of their own life and not wait for government assistance.
What happens if you haven’t been able to work since the early 1990s? There was no such thing as ‘compulsory superannuation’ until the day I left my last job on 1st July 1992, so, no, I don’t have super, and I’ve been relying on the DSP & Age pension since, so there’s no savings.
My budget is very strict. I don’t drink alcohol, smoke, nor gamble, so I’m not ‘frittering away’ my meagre pension on those things. And the paltry increase has been taken up by my phone bill rising by $10 per month, not to mention the ‘other’ increases due within the next 6 months – rent, electricity, food, fuel, insurances, etc, so I’m really ‘going backwards’ at a great rate of knots with no way to get back on top again.
Hello Geoff. Ever heard of divorce ? It happens and it happened to me. Ever heard of cancer ? It happened to me, three times. Thankfully I’m still alive but the financial implications were devastating. At 77, I’m still working and getting the work bonus $11,400 per year. However its a struggle as my rent is now astronomical. My Private Health Fund now up $12.30 a month to $231 per month. And of course there is the increase in energy and food bills. So thank your lucky stars that your ok, but don’t denigrated others before you know their circumstances.
It’s easy to be presumptuous and virtuous. Not everyone has had the same opportunities or has been wasteful. Some are older than the CSG, so retired on savings and the Aged Pension. Some raised big families. Some had circumstances that didn’t allow for independent retirement. So easy to be critical of others when we haven’t walked in their shoes. Compulsory Super will help future generations, but for many current retirees it will not provide anything.
Government incompetence has diminished even the best savings plans. Politicians even borrowed from the pension fund to finish Parliament House. The promise was to put the funds back so the Aged Pension retained its integrity and could function as originally planned, providing livable support to those who needed it. Now many have the belief that anyone without a healthy super saving has been wasteful or not planned. What a generalization.
Interesting that the Government has just made a promise to raise the minimum wage and has given handouts to almost every other cohort beyond pensioners. Guess these other groups are not wasteful, are great savers, have strong super savings and work to contribute Funny something doesn’t stack up. Why are so many industries struggling to find workers?
Maybe the Government is showing their true plan: Eliminate the aged members of society and free up their homes to solve the housing crisis. I seem to remember a similar strategy in 1939 where a politician referred to eliminating the non-productive members of society; and history buffs know how that ended!
I certainly know where my votes are not going.
Of course Pensioners are not considered.
What i can’t understand is why can’t Pensioners who do not have any Superanuation or Jobs be entitled to a subsidy towards Mortgage repayments.
Admittably their house is an asset And they use their Pension to make these payments.
At the end of the day most Pensioners don’t benefit from all the struggling they go through their benificeries are the ones that benefit.
Why can’t they be entitled to a subsidy like the rental assistance
Glad Geoff and his wife saved for retirement. A lot of us did and a bit better off for it.
It annoys me when people like Geoff say “pensioners complaining about not getting enough from the government” and “not have to rely so much on a handout”
So glad he knows what everyone’s circumstances are. Life deals us many cards and we play them as best we can.
What’s even more annoying is people like Geoff referring to the OAP as a “handout”, pretty strong words. To most the OAP is a necessity to survive and isn’t a “handout” Maybe Geoff should talk to many organisations that help victims of family violence.
And speaking to one 30 year old doesn’t cut the mustard either. I know many 30 year olds who have families, mortgages, work etc who save. Many people I know, once they become debt & family free start salary sacrificing to boost their retirement savings.
Geoff shouldn’t be putting himself on a pedestal and denounce people that don’t come up to his standards. Having some empathy goes a long way in making one a more understanding and better person
Yes, look at the actual tax breakdowns. 7% of income tax is apportioned to social services, which for years was the aged pension. Let’s recognize as a wealthy country who can fund all types of benefits, the aged pension is not a handout, but something millions of Australians have helped fund.
None of us have a right to grade others and judge people’s positions. Those that do, need to be aware: there will be someone better off, more educated or in some other group than they are in who may become equally judgmental of them.
We Australians should support all Australians, regardless of their life experiences and how they came to be where they are. None of us are better than others and we all need to have empathy for our fellow Australians, regardless of their financial status. Segmentation can be a slippery slope.
Most of we pensioners gave a lot for this country without bleating about rights and complaining about what other did or did not do. A little respect would go a long way in helping us live out our remaining years.
Critics seem happy to take the benefits we helped build, but denigrate us for situations they clearly do not understand.
ice to see that pensioners are a forgotten breed
DO YOU LUCKY GENERATION KNOW THAT THERE WAS NO CENTRLINC FOR US GROWING UP IN THE 40s 50 s60s and the 70s these pensionersare responsible for 38 hr week FOR EVERYONE
these pensioners are responsible for most of the holidays you AND LEAVE LOADING FOR EVERYONE
THESE PENSIONERS HAD MORTGAGE RATES GO UP TO %18 and u winge about %4.5
These pensioners did not have children they could not afford to bring up
these pensioners al worked all there lives because they did not get handouts
CAN ANY ONE TELL ME WHAT THIS AND THE LAST GENERATION HAVE DONE FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS EXCEPT HAVE CHILDREN THEYY CANNOT AFFORD
HAVE EVERY EXCUSE UNDER THE SUN NOT TO GET A JOB
I KNOW PEOPLE IN THEIR 50S WHO NEVER WORKED A DAY IN THEIR LIFE
Yes, absolutely no respect for we ‘elders’ who gave so much. With Albo backing a pay rise for millions of Aussies, only weeks after he delivered a slap in the face to Aussies on the Aged Pension, he has shown his true colors.
Voters may not notice, but this isn’t a binding policy commitment and does not mean the pay rise will be guaranteed, should he retain power.
So if Labor really believes in an economically sustainable real wage increase for Australia’s award and minimum wage workers, why doesn’t it believe in this for those on the Aged Pension? Instead of pushing for real wages to not go backwards, the government is pushing for an increase.
Why is an increase for this cohort fair and economically responsible, when Aged Pensioners got nothing in the budget and our bi-annual increase was such an insult? While Labor believes workers should get ahead with a real wage increase, they have accepted people on the Aged Pension are going backwards and consuming whatever savings they have to survive. Maybe the government thinks people on the aged pension are not affected by cost of living pressures, because they may have some savings to provide a buffer to draw on to cover rising costs. They are so out of touch and deserve to be removed from power.
The Labor Party has destroyed the Australian economy, blaming everyone except their own incompetence. Australia has the highest inflation in the Western world and some of the highest interest rates. And yet this government claims the economy is doing well. Maybe for politicians who got a sizable cost-of-living increase and for the segments who got significant tax cuts, but we aged pensioners continue to slide backwards at ever increasing rates.
Nothing is being done to help older Australians deal with today’s pressures. It seems the government accepts we will continue to go backwards and that this is Labor’s plan for the future. The Treasurer’s plan clearly excludes older Australians or our ability to address the increasing cost of living. Even the pandas at the zoo got a sizeable increase to handle increasing costs.
Older Australians need to let their Local Member know the have had enough and inform them they will not be voting for Labor or anyone who gives their preferences to Labor. It is the only way this shocking state will change.
Government needs to look at the reality: 17.4% of the Australian population are of pension age. Since Albo didn’t manage to give the vote to 16-year olds, this equates to over 22% of those eligible to vote. Pensioners can make a difference if they speak up. A 10% cohort can win an election and even half of 22% is significant especially in electorates with low margins. Tell your local MP you’ve had enough.
There are a number of problems with the budget, it did not address issues affecting the most vulnerable. All income support payments, that includes Aged Pensions, Didability Pensions, Jobseeker and Youth Allowance should be lifted. The maximum pension rates for a single are at $1149 per fortnight. Jobseeker is substantially below this.
It’s important to talk about Jobseeker. The popular narrative is to scapegoat jobseekers. They are often portrayed as young video game playing youth or surfers. It’s false.
The largest demographic on Jobseeker are over fifty. The age pension eligibility is now 67. Many are not yet eligible and are on the Jobseeker payment. Very many should be on the disability pension. Seventy per cent of applications are declined.
Many are women consigned to poverty following relationship breakdowns, domestic violence, divorce or loss of a partner.
Many are those who did manual labour and can no longer work due to musculoskeletal or other conditions.
Many have experienced accidents, illness or redundancy. Many older people started careers in an era before superannuation. When I started working, I had it, I worked for a Bank.
Sadly there are those, who have downward envy and blame those with less, rather than look at the inequality at the top. The top ten percent of Australians own 53% of all wealth. To put it another way, the bottom 90% own only 43%.
Raising income support has better economic outcomes. Firstly, an increased to those recipients, is spent on basics- haircuts. Medicine, Fruit and vegetables. That goes to the small businesses, lifts living standards, and has a positive effect. This was clearly demonstrable during the pandemic. Tax cuts to higher income persons, is spent differently, such as on cars, mobiles, holidays, computers. We don’t make those here, that money leaves the country. We do not even own and operate the shipping fleets, or the aircraft that brings them in.
I did read comments by some others here, stating they worked hard and provided for themselves. Good on you, however, luck is often a factor, as is work. There are very many people who worked hard, take risks and built businesses only to lose them. We saw the result of the pandemic. Putting that aside, technology is a disruptive. Uber, and Ride Share have destroyed the taxi industry. At one point those licences were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Manufacturing is disrupted by 3D printers, farmers and primary produces affected by weather, drought, flooding. Many build wealth and families separate resulting in loss of houses.
People become ill.
The budget fails to acknowledge these people.,Yes some positives. Lower medicines, improvement in bulk billing but there is a crisis in housing affordability, both rental and to buy.
Of 38 nations in the OECD we are one of the lowest taxing. We have relative to median and mean wages, among the lowest pension and unemployment payments. Real choices are made medicines, or electricity, food or petrol.
Often people miss medicine, they become more ill and it becomes an emergency, costing the health system more.
There are myriad factors, this budget gives least to those most vulnerable.
My rent is now $960 per week. My pension has gone up $3 per fortnight. How out of touch does a government have to be ? Now looking to move out of Sydney but where ? Away from friends and family as we reach the end of our lives. Thanks Albo. Enjoy the coastal retreat.
Yes and our home insurance went up 26% and 43% over the last two years. Lucky we haven’t made claims or the increase might have been more. Thanks to the government for making insurance compulsory in Strata, but not enforcing insurers to play fair.