28 January 2014, 280114, age pension, disability support pension, parenting payment, Pension and benefit
Q. Do you think the following pensions and benefits are too high, too low or about right?
|
Too high |
Too low |
About right |
Don’t know |
|
Too high |
Too low |
About right |
Don’t know |
||
| Age pension |
2% |
64% |
25% |
8% |
Age pension ($827 a fortnight for a single person) |
5% |
52% |
35% |
8% |
|
| Disability support pension |
8% |
47% |
31% |
14% |
Disability support pension ($813 a fortnight) |
8% |
47% |
35% |
10% |
|
| Unemployment benefit |
27% |
27% |
35% |
11% |
Unemployment benefit ($501 a fortnight for a single person without children) |
25% |
35% |
31% |
9% |
|
| Parenting payment |
31% |
23% |
32% |
14% |
Parenting payment ($700 a fortnight for a single parent) |
26% |
34% |
29% |
10% |
Note: Half the sample was asked this question without specifying the payment amounts and half was asked with the payment amounts specified.
For half the sample that were not told the specific payment amount, 64% thought the age pension was too low and 47% thought the disability support pension was too low. Opinions on unemployment benefits and parenting payments were split – on unemployment benefits the most common response was “about right” (35%) and about right (32%) or too high (31%) for parenting payments.
The half that were told the payments amounts were less likely to think the age pension was too low (52%), had similar perceptions of the disability support pension and were more likely to think unemployment benefits (35%) and parenting payments (34%) were too low.
For the age pension while 58% of those aged 65+ thought it was too low, 76% of those aged 45-64 thought it was too low.
28 January 2014, 280114, disability support pension, eligibility for age pension, parenting payment, tougher eligbility, unemployment benefit
Q. Would you support or oppose making eligibility tougher for the following benefits and pensions?
|
|
Total support |
Total |
|
Strongly support |
Support |
Oppose |
Strongly oppose |
Don’t know |
| Age pension |
17% |
75% |
5% |
12% |
40% |
35% |
8% |
|
| Disability support pension |
37% |
55% |
11% |
26% |
33% |
22% |
9% |
|
| Unemployment benefit |
65% |
28% |
31% |
34% |
19% |
9% |
7% |
|
| Parenting payment |
55% |
34% |
24% |
31% |
24% |
10% |
11% |
A majority oppose making eligibility tougher for the age pension (75%) and the disability support pension (55%) but support making it tougher for unemployment benefits (65%) and parenting payments (55%).
Strongest opposition to making eligibility tougher for the age pension came from those aged 45-64 (85%).
Liberal/National voters were split over the disability support pension (45% support/47% oppose making it tougher).
76% of Liberal/National voters supported making eligibility for unemployment benefits tougher compared to 55% of Labor voters.
70% of those aged 55+ supported making eligibility for parenting payments tougher.