I find it obscene that 85 people own almost half of the worlds wealth.

[margomeoz]

No wonder I like the idea of socialism that is disgusting, especially when Abbott is now going to see what he can pry from aged pensioners.

The other 50% of people deserve a share in this wealth they helped earn it for the 85 people.

[margomeoz]

I agree with hawk and debra, why should an old person live anywhere other than the home they worked their whole life paying for in an area they love.

Maybe they could cut down on the cost of helping old people if they make all the younger people on welfare who are capable of working do community service to the rate of their payment.

[catsnknots]

In all fairness I am not talking about the average family home... I don't think many pensioners live in a $1.5 million dollar house... and that house was that price maybe 6 years ago and I can imagine it is probably worth $2 million now considering it's location. 

The pensioners that live around here probably have homes in the value of under $300K. I do not think they should be made to sell those off... but once they get closer to the $2 million mark is it not a bit fair to consider using that to support your retirement? 

Deb, that issue of families having to sell off the family home for a place in a nursing home is not fair. I do think that more needs to be done to supply places for the elderly without families going broke as that will only put more stress on the government in years to come. 

I think the government needs to focus more of public nursing homes rather than public homes for younger people. 

[***super_nova***]

---

@catsnknots wrote:

Here is s question.... 

Should a little old lady, living on her own in a four bedroom house: beach front in Sydney say, get the pension when her house is worth $1.9 million dollars. 

Should she have to use her investment in her family home and support herself or should that home be quarantined from the assessment? 

---

Can you really get beachfront property with 4 bedrooms in Sydney for $1.9millions?   That sounds like a bargain.

I actually know number of old people living on their own in large expensive houses, but none gets the pension from government; they are all self funded retirees.  More to the point they often have some of their many kids and grandkids staying for period of time.  Like in case of marriage break ups, or grand kids go to UNI and grandma just happens to live close to Melbourne UNI while the parents live fair distance.  I imagine some old people on pension are in similar position. 

Many old people do not want to move away to suburbs where they know nobody.  When people live in an area most of their lives, they like to stay there.  The old person living on the beach probably loves to go for walks there, and for swim in the summer; after life of hard work they are looking forward really being able to enjoy that.

I was thinking about this last night, and thought maybe it should only affect houses over certain value, but that just would not work.  House values are to too inconsistent; it would be a nightmare to work out something fair. 

there is already a rule that pensioners cannot live on land over 5acres (?), unless they lived there for more than 20 years and I think there might be a value of the house taken in consideration as well.

In any case, if person owns very expensive large house and has nothing else, then they are very unlikely capable of maintaining it and paying rates on it.  In that case they are forced to downsize anyway.

[debra9275]

Cat in Melb & Sydney, a lot of family homes would fall into that sort of price bracket

Nursing homes are probably the only growth industry that we have currently although aged care nursing wages are quite low & i also think it's wrong that people have to sell off family homes, but they do that, so that their parents are looked after properly (hopefully)

I don't know the answer is to that one

[boris1gary]

margomeoz, i don't think that is a very good idea and unfortunately it would only lead to even more job losses as those who provide "community services" would fall over each other to cut paid jobs and use unpaid labour.

Tone has already flagged handing over a lot of our welfare services to private companies and churches to run at a much lower cost, scary when you think about it.

Aged care is an embarrassment in this country, it's shameful how we treat our older citizens, as for superannuation, I think it's a rort for the well off, people think that somehow the bosses are doing us a favour - really they just take a part of our wage, gamble with it, get even richer and we say thanks. Just an excuse to eventually get rid of aged pensions all together down the track.

I know plenty of people who have ended up with less super than if they had put it in a box and stored it under their bed.

Don't believe the hype - if we chose to we could afford to look after our elder's in a dignified way.

[debra9275]

http://www.actu.org.au/Media/Mediareleases/AgedcarepaydealscutafterAbbottGovernmenttearsupcompact.as...

[***super_nova***]

---

@catsnknots wrote:

The pensioners that live around here probably have homes in the value of under $300K. I do not think they should be made to sell those off... but once they get closer to the $2 million mark is it not a bit fair to consider using that to support your retirement? 

Deb, that issue of families having to sell off the family home for a place in a nursing home is not fair. I do think that more needs to be done to supply places for the elderly without families going broke as that will only put more stress on the government in years to come. 

I think the government needs to focus more of public nursing homes rather than public homes for younger people. 

---

under $300K????!!!!!   Are there really houses for under $300K anywhere in Australia? 

Families are NOT forced to sell their homes to place grandma in nursing home, they have to sell the old person's home. 

Government should not be focusing on one group over other; young families on low income cannot afford rental housing at the going rates.  They need accommodation too.  Or would you have them live in cars and in parks?

[polksaladallie]

IMO the house should be sold when the owner goes into care.  They will never return to it, and the money should be used for the best care they can get, and medical bills etc.  The people who object to this are the ones waiting to inherit. 

There are many people who have millions in assets and still receive a part pension.  They and their financial advisors should be horsewhipped, because these arrangements stop genuine pensioners receiving more.  But no government has the courage to make the appropriate changes.

[soul_art]

I don't think elderly people should have to sell their  homes but  I imagine selling it and buying a cheaper one, then having money from the sale to live on would be much better than trying to scrape by on a pension while trying to maintain a big house.

As for young families needing help with housing etc.  Maybe people need to start looking at their wants verses their needs?

I don't believe people have the right to expect others (taxpayers) to fund their wants....and that includes wanting children.  A lot of people regard what were once "luxuries" as things they need.  Times change, sometimes for the better but the "I want, I want" of today is going out of control.

[***super_nova***]

---

@soul_art wrote:

As for young families needing help with housing etc.  Maybe people need to start looking at their wants verses their needs?

---

I do not know where you live but in major cities, where the jobs are, the rents are exorbitant  If people cannot afford the commercial rates of the lowest rents from their wages, that means that the minimum wage is not high enough.  If you do not pay your workers enough to afford the basic needs in life that means that  the subsidies the low paid workers get are actually subsidies to the business that does not pay adequately.