A raft of old Budget measures that failed to pass the Senate have finally been culled, at a cost of $13.9 billion – but it’s the one that wasn’t we should be worried about.
Plans to increase Age Pension eligibility age from 67 to 70 by 2035 are still in the pipeline, with this being the one piece of zombie legislation that survived the cull. The Government clearly still has belief that it can pass this measure, due to commence in 2025. However, as it’s not included in the four-year forward Budget estimates, there is also little to be gained by getting rid of it just now. Perhaps a pre-election sweetener in one of the next two Budgets would be better timing.
| From Budget: | Measure |
| 2014-15 | Pensioner Education Supplement – cessation |
| 2014-15 | Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – increase in co-payments and safety net thresholds |
| 2014-15 | Simplifying Medicare safety net arrangements |
| 2014-15 | Stronger Compliance Arrangements for Job Seekers who Refuse or Persistently Fail to Meet Requirements |
| 2015-16 | Australian Working Life Residence – tightening of proportionality arrangements |
| 2015-16 | Growing Jobs and Small Business – Youth Employment Strategy – revised waiting period for youth income support |
| 2015-16 | Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – increase in the safety net thresholds on 1 January 2019 |
| 2015-16 | Growing Jobs and Small Business – further strengthening the job seeker compliance arrangements |
| 2015-16 | Addressing Welfare Reliance in Remote Communities |
| 2015-16 | Phasing out end of year supplements and limiting FTB Part B to single parents with youngest child aged under 17 years |
| 2015-16 | Reducing FTB Part B for single parents with youngest child aged 13-16 |
| 2015-16 | Changes to diagnostic imaging and pathology services bulk billing incentives |
| 2015-16 | Paid Parental Leave – removing the mandatory obligation for employers to administer payments |
| 2016-17 | Revised arrangements for Commonwealth Dental Funding |
| 2016-17 | Families Package – child care – Workforce Participation Scheme |
Related articles:
Older Australians given incentive to downsize
Pension concession card reinstated
Pension portability changes scrapped
First home-buyer super saver plan
Age pension residence requirements
Better access to Medicare bulk-billing
