OPINION: Pensioners deserve better from government

IT'S hard not to feel sorry for pensioners who will be hit this week by Federal Government cost cutting.

COUNTING THE COST: The government says the family home is exempt, so why do home owners have lower thresholds? Picture: AndreyPopov

IT'S hard not to feel sorry for pensioners who will be hit this week by Federal Government cost cutting.

Under new rules, pensioners with assets worth more than the new thresholds will lose $3 of their payments for every $1000 over, up from $1.50.

After getting a phone call yesterday from a concerned pensioner I was told how some so called "rich" pensioners would lose big dollars.

The new thresholds are $250,000 for a single homeowner, $375,000 for a homeowner couple, $450,000 for a single non-homeowner and $575,000 for a non-homeowner couple.

The government says the family home is exempt, so why do home owners have lower thresholds?

It seems people who have worked their life to pay off a house are being penalised with lower thresholds.

Pensioners shouldn't be penalised after working hard to get what they have.

Originally published as OPINION: Pensioners deserve better from government