"The hard fact is that Joe Hockey is cutting services to some of the most vulnerable people in society, leaving fewer people with a part-pension and therefore a pensioner concession card".
At present, this is set at about £11 above the basic state pension of £67.50 a week for a single pensioner.
Joe Hockey's budget speech promised that 91,000 retirees losing their part-pension would continue to receive state-government provided pensioner concession cards – but some states say that will not be the case and they were not consulted about the promise.
However according to Katerina, a pensioner who was just about to vote in Irpin, her pension in 2010 was the equivalent of €94 ($121) a month and is now €105.
Buoyed by generous pensions and decades of soaring house prices, the wealthiest fifth of pensioner households enjoy average incomes well over twice the British average: for such lucky wrinklies, the winter-fuel allowance is less an inducement to turn on the radiator than an invitation to chambrer some decent wine.
For the top fifth of pensioner households, who have an average private income of £65,000, the state pension pays for holidays and golf-club fees.The state pension's defenders argue that cuts are unfair as retired people have saved via past tax contributions.
And the whole pension system would be funded: pensions would be paid from the revenues earned on money invested by the pensioner during his working life.
But pensioner concession cards are provided by state governments, and at least some of the benefits they offer – like discounts on transport and utilities – are paid for by the states.
Changes to indexation arrangements for pensions – sidelined and set to be replaced Pension rises were to be indexed to inflation rather than a combination of inflation, the pensioner living cost index and as a percentage of average weekly male earnings.
He described the official "specification report" published for the first time today as giving a "horrifying picture of the impact" with more than 7 million losers: "A pensioner couple in inner London could find themselves paying 22% of their net income in poll tax, whereas a better off couple in the suburbs pay only 1%.
Pension rises will be indexed to inflation rather than as a combination of inflation, the pensioner living cost index and as a percentage of average weekly male earnings.
