Aged pensioners get most from Howard Government

A new report by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) shows that the Howard Government has given the largest increase in handouts – direct and indirect via taxation – to some age pensioners.

The benchmark study of the 10 years of tax and welfare changes shows that Australia’s most favoured voters are part pensioners with private incomes of $250 to $500 week. Their real spending power has risen 24% because of the government’s handout system.

The analysis looked at all changes to tax, family payments and pensions which included tax concessions not often calculated alongside tax cuts and family payments.

For a single income family on the same private income, the handout bonus was 22%. Dual income families received 12% and childless couples 11%. Those receiving the least amount in the same income group were sole parents at 4% and a single person at 5%.

The Prime Minister has previously nominated low and middle income families, and those aged over 55 as his main electoral constituencies.