Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the government helping pensioners and families make ends meet as part of the budget and carbon price household assistance?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question, and I certainly thank him for all the work he does out in his community addressing local issues. I have had the opportunity to visit with him in his electorate, where people are still engaged in flood recovery, and I want to thank him for his ongoing advocacy for his local community.

From today, over 3.2 million pensioners will receive more money into their bank accounts to help them make ends meet—3.2 million pensioners who will see more money in their bank accounts from today. Across Australia, over $700 million in household assistance will be going out to pensioners before carbon pricing starts on 1 July. Full and part pensioners will receive upfront household assistance payments of $250 for singles and $380 for couples, and from March next year pensioners will receive ongoing assistance that keeps up with the cost of living. Across these pensioner households we have taken care to ensure that pensioners receive compensation so that they come out, many of them, in front—because we know that pensioner budgets are tight. For pensioners, 93 per cent of households will be at least 20 per cent better off as a result of these payments.

This is part of a set of arrangements to benefit families around the country. On average, $9.90 in additional price impacts will be experienced, but that will be matched by $10.10 in assistance, with six out of 10 households fully assisted with the cost-of-living impacts and nine out of 10 receiving payments in some form. This is all part of ensuring that a major reform like seizing a clean energy future is done in a Labor way. At the same time we will also be assisting people with their other cost-of-living pressures, including through the schoolkids bonus, which will provide cost-of-living relief for 1.3 million families.

I am proud that on this side of the parliament, understanding the needs of families around the country and the needs of pensioners, we are providing direct assistance and that 3.2 million pensioners will see it in their bank accounts from today.