Older Australians need urgent cost of living relief in budget

With Jim Chalmers’ budget weeks away, older Australians are looking for measures to help manage cost of living and give them access to better dental care.

Older Australians are needing more support from the budget to combat cost of living issues, advocacy group National Seniors says.

Struggling older Australians need a cost-of-living rebate through their energy bills and a reduction in the fuel excise to help them manage their increasingly fragile household budgets, a peak seniors advocacy group says.

National Seniors Australia is also adding its voice to growing calls for the Albanese government to support older Australians with their dental health, a key marker of broader health and wellbeing and one of the recommendations of the aged care royal commission.

In its pre-budget submission, NSA says the government should also look at longer-term policies to support older people to downsize their homes or even share their existing home.

NSA chief executive Chris Grice says Jim Chalmers’ 2024 budget comes against a backdrop of economic hardship, with the organisation’s research showing 80 per cent of older people are being hit by the cost-of-living crunch.

Chris Grice, National Seniors chief executive officer.

“The high prices in fuel, groceries, energy, rents, healthcare and other essential items is stretching household budgets to the point of breaking,” Mr Grice said.

“While some people are doing okay, many – especially those who rent, who are on low incomes, or live in regional and rural areas – are not.”

Key among his organisation’s 12 recommendations is a cost-of-living rebate of up to $500 via electricity bills, with higher rebates for those most in need. It points to the 2023 Energy Bill Relief package as a template.

The budget impact would be about $1.5bn annually, it says.

The NSA is also asking the government to consider a temporary reduction in the fuel excise of up to 20c a litre, noting this is a key expense for many older people. Fuel costs flow through into other parts of the economy, feeding into higher prices for everyday items like groceries, the submission notes. A 20c per litre reduction for six months would set the budget back $5bn, it says.

The impetus for change to provide more dental support for older people is growing, with National Seniors proposing a $500 a year commitment to their dental care.

Initially this Seniors Dental Benefits Scheme, similar to the one available currently to children, would be targeted to those with limited means and to aged care residents, before being expanded to others.

It notes public dental health queues are long for those who can’t access a private dentist, with grave consequences for older people whose dental health tends to be worse.

“Poor oral health … is linked with other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, respiratory diseases and cerebrovascular diseases,” the submission states.