Federal Budget support for older Australians
06 October 2020
2
min read
Additional payments for pensioners and a $1.6 billion boost in funding for home-care packages for older Australians seeking an alternative to nursing homes was unveiled by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in the Federal Budget on 6 October.¹
Additional payments for pensioners
At the height of the COVID-19 crisis from April 2020 to July 2020, the Government supported Australian age pensioners with $750 economic support payments.
Two additional $250 payments were revealed in the Budget, with the first to be provided from December 2020 and the second from early 2021.
Aged care initiatives
During the COVID-19 health emergency, the Government provided $1.6 billion to support the needs of Australians in aged care.
The Federal Budget delivered further support for older Australians who wish to stay at home for longer by providing another $1.6 billion for an additional 23,000 home-care packages across all package levels.
As a result, the number of home-care packages for older Australians will have increased from about 60,300 in 2013 to more than 185,500 in 2021.
Mr Frydenberg said the Government is committed to delivering a further $11.3 million for training and support for aged care providers and carers of people experiencing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Please note that these announcements are yet to be legislated and may be subject to change. You can access all Budget papers here, and access QSuper’s summary of Budget announcements here.
1. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg media release, https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/josh-frydenberg-2018/media-releases/guaranteeing-essential-services-0, accessed 6 October 2020