‘Scaring old people’: Labor’s tactics slammed by Ageing council

The federal Opposition will continue to peddle false claims of a welfare card for pensioners despite pleas from the peak body for the aged.

Labor says it will continue to peddle a false claim the Coalition would put pensioners on a welfare card that controls their spending, despite the Federal Government ruling out the move and as the peak body implored the Opposition to “stop scaring old people”.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said it was a “desperate and shameful scare campaign” as the Morrison government categorically dismissed the plan and as bureaucrats said it was not possible under current laws.

Labor has targeted social media and letterbox drops in marginal seats with claims pensioners would be put on the cashless debit card, which in some trial areas quarantines 80 per cent of JobSeeker payments for under 35s to prevent welfare being spent on alcohol, gambling and drugs.

“The Morrison Government has made it clear we have no plan and will never have a plan to force age pensioners onto the Cashless Debit Card,” Ms Ruston said.

The Opposition has refused to pull the advertising campaign, despite the peak body representing older Australians begging it to stop “scaring old people about things that aren’t going to happen”.

Council on the Ageing Australia CEO Ian Yates says it is false to claim pensioners will be put on a welfare card. Picture: AAP Image/James Elsby

Council on the Ageing CEO Ian Yates said they had previously written to Labor telling them their claims were incorrect and were alarming pensioners.

“We are 100 per cent sure that the claim has no factual basis at all,” Mr Yates said.

“We wrote to the ALP, to the leader of the party and shadow social security minister to say we did not support this campaign.

“We were getting phone calls and letters from pensioners expressing fear about this.”

Mr Yates said the tactics, used by all parties at different times, were disappointing, frustrating and annoying.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese literally sidestepped the question at a press conference when asked if the party would stop the tactic, moving away to allow his treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers to respond and double down on the claim.

“We make absolutely no apology whatsoever for standing up for the pensions of this country who are petrified that this cashless debit card will be extended to them,” he said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese (right) with shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: Toby Zerna

“There are comments on the record from Scott Morrison from Anne Ruston talking about expanding the scheme, talking about it being a national platform.

“The Prime Minister and his now hand-picked health minister have been given multiple opportunities in recent times to rule out this expansion and if they do it now in the teeth of an election, you know that you can’t believe them.”

Department of Social Services deputy secretary Liz Herfren-Webb told a recent Senate estimates hearing that there was no current laws that would allow pensioners to be put on the cashless debit card, and the prospect had never been raised with her.