"Pension poverty" - Australia

Forget the welfare bludging "lifestyle" choice that Murdoch papers keep screaming about. Or that those on welfare are a "burden" to quote The Australian. The fact of the matter is that those of us who find ourselves in the unfortunate position of having to actually try and live off welfare payments, a third of those on the aged pension are in poverty. 

I don't know what the figures are for the DSP are but I'd guess very similar. It's just fortunate David and I both have super money to access under financial hardship provisions. We're a month away from when I can do it again out of mine. Otherwise it's just very basic survival, can be very isolating and depressing after a while.

All this after 25 years of uninterrupted growth in Australia. I worked very hard for 30 yrs full time, so much so that I'm still feeling it in my body. The human body just isn't built for that sort of stuff.

But don't worry, Turnbull plans to give $50billion worth of tax cuts to corporations. *coughs* Or he wants to spend $500million to tell me what a fucked up person I am to be LGBT and daring to want marriage equality. A bit of fairness wouldn't go astray, on all levels :s

Pension poverty. That's apparently what to expect if you're about to retire on the age pension after doing your bit to provide Australia with 25 years of unbroken economic growth. 

Almost one third of Australians on the age pension are living in poverty. That's the finding of a new study funded by the Benevolent Society and others into the 'adequacy', if that's the right word, of the age pension. 

The base rate of the age pension is $794 a fortnight; the poverty line is $851. 

Only about a week ago both the government and the opposition claimed credit for Australia's world-beating economic performance. I don't recall either Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull or Opposition Leader Bill Shorten claiming credit for the shortfall between the age pension and the poverty line. Sydney Morning Herald

The article goes on about how to define pension poverty. Well for us it's simple. I get $17k a year and pay $10k in rent. Leaving $7k to live off for a year. It's do-able, but only just. David much the same except he gets the carers allowance on top.

And they reckon this is a "lifestyle choice"? Who the fuck in their right mind would chose this?