Pensioners still waiting for bonus cheques

Pensioners promised a $125 energy bonus payment from the State Government for Christmas say they are still waiting for their cheques to arrive.

Energy Minister Guy Barnett

Pensioners promised a $125 energy bonus payment from the State Government for Christmas say they are still waiting for their cheques to arrive.

Readers waiting on their money have inundated the Mercury with calls and letters since Energy Minister Guy Barnett spruiked the payment as a Christmas boost.

Mr Barnett said 80,000 cheques had been mailed out.

Glenorchy pensioner Alan Churchill, 85, said his household was yet to receive the payment. “When the hope is there that you’re going to get it, you tend to count on it and you tend to spend money that you otherwise would not have spent,” he said.

A disability pensioner, who did not wish to be identified, said the delay had affected his Christmas plans. “My kids will have Christmas about the New Year if they are lucky,” he said.

The payments were announced by Mr Barnett in October, with excess returns from Aurora Energy used to ease the burden on pensioners and health card holders.

A Government spokeswoman said all cheques had been mailed before Christmas.

The Labor Opposition has accused the Government of playing politics with the payments, which are accompanied by a letter signed by Premier Will Hodgman and Mr Barnett.

Shadow treasurer Scott Bacon has said the money should have been credited to Aurora accounts.

“The Liberals made a lot of fanfare about the bonus payment and gave people the impression it would be arriving before Christmas,” Mr Bacon told the Mercury yesterday.

“If Guy Barnett was willing to take the credit for Aurora’s work, he should take responsibility for Tasmanians not getting their cheques when they expected them.”

The Liberal State Government has pledged Tasmania will have the lowest regulated electricity prices in the country by 2022 if it is re-elected.

Mr Barnett said new modelling from the Australian Energy Market Commission forecast Tasmanian power prices would fall by more than 5 per cent in 2018 and nearly 8 per cent in 2019.

Aurora was contacted for comment.