Great news! The Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) have given their seal of approval for the latest Federal Budget, which promises some much-needed support for older Australians just in time for the harsh winter ahead.

Now, we know that talking about budgets and finance might not be everyone's cup of tea, but hang on tight! We'll guide you through the important bits, and explain how this historic $11.3 billion investment in aged care may affect your life.




COTA's CEO, Chris Potaris, expressed that the main takeaway for older Australians from the new budget is the range of support provided to help pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health cardholders reduce cost-of-living pressures. And boy, have we all been feeling the pinch-rising energy prices, the COVID crisis, and inflation, just to name a few!



'This is a much-needed budget that will help to alleviate these concerns and issues we are seeing in the community. These are such crucial supports to ensure that older people can age well outside of aged care, capturing the diverse range of issues,' said Mr. Potaris.

But what does this mean in concrete terms? Well, here are the highlights:

• A much-appreciated energy relief of up to $500 per year (our heaters will be working overtime, after all!)
• An extra $15 a week for rent assistance
• A $20 a week increase in JobSeeker payments, plus an additional $46 more a week for those 55+ or experiencing ageism when job hunting for more than nine months.
• Cheaper medicines, and a tripling of the incentive payment to GPs to increase bulk billing.

Mr. Potaris emphasised that this holistic budget would have a real impact on the lives of older people, providing financial relief and hopefully addressing the factors that are enabling elder abuse to persist in the community. As the cost of living pressures spiked, SRV, Victoria's only state-wide elder-abuse-focused Community Legal Centre, has seen a concerning increase in calls and waiting times for help.



'We have access to data which highlights that older Victorians continue to face increasing pressures around their finances, healthcare access, and housing in the past year,' explained Mr. Potaris.

Of course, this isn’t just an issue in Victoria. Acknowledging the relief offered by the Federal Budget, COTA urges the state governments to step up and make sure the upcoming state budgets build upon these provisions. In their pre-budget submission for the Victorian State Budget 2023-2024, COTA Victoria and SRV have detailed increased support to meet older Aussies needs, including:

• Increased funding to address elder abuse
• Developing an older person lived experience engagement framework
• Funding the creation of an Older Victorian Health and Wellbeing Action Plan.

Challenges Facing Older Australians​

COTA and SRV have been advocating for increased support for older Australians facing cost-of-living pressures. In their pre-budget submission for the State Budget 2023-2024, they highlighted concerns around rising energy prices, COVID cases, inflation, longer waiting times for healthcare access, and the potential for elder abuse.

They remain hopeful that the forthcoming Victorian state budget announcement on 23 May 2023 will provide additional support for older Victorians, and COTA Victoria is committed to advocating for their interests during this ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

So, when is your next state budget?

ACT - Tuesday, 27 June 2023
NSW - September 2023, date TBC
NT - Tuesday, 9 May 2023
QLD - Tuesday, 13 June 2023
SA - Thursday, 15 June 2023
TAS - Thursday, 25 May 2023
VIC - Tuesday, 23 May 2023
WA - Thursday, 11 May 2023



While the Federal Budget included some support for pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health card holders, as well as an investment in aged care, we are still waiting to see what will be included in each state budget.

Interested in reading more about COTA? You can find your relevant state/territory COTA website here.

So, there you have it, dear members! It's time for some well-deserved relief, and we hope the combination of federal and state measures will make life a bit easier. Stay tuned as we keep you updated on future developments, and remember—we're all in this together.