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eligibility for age pension, pension
Access to pension
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the Government’s proposal to remove access to the pension for retirees with substantial assets? Under the new proposal, couples with cash and investments of $820,000 or more and singles with $550,000 will not receive a part pension.
Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote Other Men Women Aged 18-34 Aged 35-54 Aged 55+ Total approve 56% 58% 64% 43% 56% 61% 51% 50% 51% 70% Total disapprove 30% 31% 24% 40% 36% 29% 32% 32% 34% 22% Strongly approve 22% 22% 26% 19% 24% 28% 16% 16% 20% 32% Approve 34% 36% 38% 24% 32% 33% 35% 34% 31% 38% Disapprove 19% 19% 14% 30% 25% 19% 19% 22% 20% 13% Strongly disapprove 11% 12% 10% 10% 11% 10% 13% 10% 14% 9% Don’t know 14% 10% 11% 18% 9% 10% 17% 19% 14% 8% 56% approve of the Government’s proposal to remove access to the pension for retirees with substantial assets and 30% disapprove.
While all voter and demographic groups were more likely to approve than disapprove, those most likely to approve were aged 55+ (70%). Liberal/National voters (64%), men (61%) and incomes less than $1,000 pw (66%).
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70, age pension, pension, pension age, Raising pension age
Raising pension age
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of raising the pension age to 70?
Total
Vote Labor
Vote Lib/Nat
Vote Greens
Vote other
Total approve 20%
14%
31%
15%
20%
Total disapprove 71%
80%
60%
72%
73%
Strongly approve 4%
5%
6%
2%
4%
Approve 16%
9%
25%
13%
16%
Disapprove 31%
26%
33%
41%
32%
Strongly disapprove 40%
54%
27%
31%
41%
Don’t know 9%
6%
9%
12%
6%
71% disapprove of raising the pension age to 70 and 20% approve.
Although a majority of all demographic and voters groups disapproved, those more likely to approve were Liberal/National voters (31%), men (26%) and aged 65+ (32%).
Those more likely to disapprove were women (77%) and aged 45-64 (81%).
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65, age pension, pension, receive the pension
Pension age
Q. At what age do you think Australians should be able to receive the age pension?
Total
Vote Labor
Vote Lib/Nat
Vote Greens
Vote other
Less than 65 14%
16%
13%
9%
14%
65 58%
60%
54%
61%
59%
66 2%
2%
1%
1%
3%
67 8%
8%
9%
12%
4%
68 3%
1%
3%
3%
3%
69 1%
1%
1%
–
1%
70 10%
7%
15%
6%
10%
Don’t know 5%
4%
3%
9%
5%
72% believe that Australians should be able to receive the age pension at 65 or younger. Only 10% think they should have to wait till 70 to receive the pension.
A majority of all demographic and voter groups think the eligible age should be 65 or less. The most divided group was aged 65+, with 53% nominating 65 or less and 46% nominating an age over 65.
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age pension, assets test, family home, home value, pension
Pension assets test
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of including the value of the family home in the assets test for eligibility for the age pension?
Total
Vote Labor
Vote Lib/Nat
Vote Greens
Vote other
Total approve 26%
27%
29%
21%
26%
Total disapprove 64%
65%
60%
66%
67%
Strongly approve 7%
8%
6%
6%
12%
Approve 19%
19%
23%
15%
14%
Disapprove 26%
26%
24%
33%
27%
Strongly disapprove 38%
39%
36%
33%
40%
Don’t know 11%
8%
12%
11%
7%
64% disapprove of including the value of the family home in the assets test for eligibility for the age pension and 26% approve.
Although a majority of all demographic and voter groups disapproved, those more likely to approve were aged under 35 (36%) and university educated (30%).
82% of those aged 55-64 disapprove.
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approval of PM, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Gillard, Greens, healthcare system, Julia Gillard, Labor, Labor Party policies, Liberal, management of the economy, Nationals, pension, Polling, superannuation
Government Decisions and Policies
Q. Thinking about what the Labor Government has done over the last few years, do you approve or disapprove of the following Government actions?
Total approve Total disapprove Strongly approve Approve Disapprove Strongly disapprove Don’t know Increased funding of health services 89% 5% 42% 47% 3% 2% 6% Increasing the age pension 78% 14% 34% 44% 8% 6% 8% Increasing superannuation to 12% 75% 13% 28% 47% 9% 4% 12% Managing the economy to keep unemployment and interest rates low 70% 21% 21% 49% 12% 9% 10% Spending on new school buildings 68% 24% 19% 49% 15% 9% 8% Introducing a national disability insurance scheme 63% 13% 18% 45% 9% 4% 24% Stimulus spending to tackle the GFC 61% 28% 21% 40% 15% 13% 11% Paid parental leave 60% 30% 19% 41% 17% 13% 10% Introducing a tax on large profits of mining companies 58% 29% 27% 31% 16% 13% 13% Building the NBN (National Broadband Network) 54% 34% 19% 35% 17% 17% 12% Stopping live cattle exports until welfare concerns were addressed 53% 34% 24% 29% 17% 17% 12% Abolished WorkChoices 51% 33% 23% 28% 21% 12% 16% Sending asylum seekers to Malaysia 39% 45% 17% 22% 20% 25% 16% Introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change 33% 53% 15% 18% 14% 39% 14% Government decisions and policies with highest approval were increased funding of health services (89% approve), increasing the age pension (78%) and increasing superannuation to 12% (75%).
Only two of the actions listed received less than majority approval – sending asylum seekers to Malaysia was 39% approve/45% disapprove and introducing a carbon tax to tackle climate change was 33% approve/53% disapprove.
Labor voters showed majority approval of all decisions and policies, Greens voters showed majority approval for all except sending asylum seekers to Malaysia (21% approve/63% disapprove).
Liberal/National voters approved of half the items listed – increased funding of health services (89% approve), increasing the age pension (79%), increasing superannuation to 12% (71%), managing the economy to keep unemployment and interest rates low (54%), spending on new school buildings (54%), introducing a national disability insurance scheme (60%) and paid parental leave (52%).
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benefits, disability pensions, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, party trust, pension, pensions, Polling, polls, unemployment benefits, welfare
Party Trust to Handle Benefits/pensions
Q. Which party would you trust more to handle welfare issues like unemployment benefits and disability pensions?
Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Labor Party 34% 75% 6% 53% Liberal Party 31% 4% 66% 8% No difference 25% 16% 21% 26% Don’t know 10% 55 6% 13% 34% trust the Labor Party more to handle welfare issues and 31% trust the Liberal Party more. 25% think there is no difference.
The Liberal Party is trusted more by people earning $1,600+ pw (40% to 29%) while those on incomes under $1,000 pw favor the Labor Party 39% to 22%.
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banking regulation, debt, Housing affordability, inflation, party best at, pension, salaries, superannuation, tax, unemployment, wages
Party Best at Handling Issues
Q. Between Liberal and Labor, which party do you think would be best at managing each of the following issues?
Labor Liberal No difference Don’t know Labor-Liberal difference Improving wages for low income earners 34% 20% 34% 13% +14 The age pension 27% 23% 37% 13% +4 Executive salaries 22% 20% 44% 14% +2 Unemployment 24% 25% 38% 13% -1 Regulation of large corporations 21% 24% 41% 14% -3 Affordability of housing 19% 24% 44% 13% -5 Jobs going overseas 18% 24% 44% 14% -6 Superannuation 18% 27% 40% 15% -9 Petrol and energy prices 16% 26% 45% 13% -10 Regulation of banks 19% 29% 39% 14% -10 Interest rates 17% 30% 41% 13% -13 Food prices and inflation generally 18% 31% 38% 13% -13 Taxation 18% 32% 37% 13% -14 Government debt 15% 42% 31% 12% -27 The only substantial lead for the Labor Party is on improving wages for low income earners (34% to 20%).
Liberal Party strengths are in managing Government debt (42%/15%), taxation (32%/18%), food prices and inflation (31%/18%) and interest rates (30%/17%).
Although overall opinions are closely related to voting intention, the Liberal Party generally performs better among its voters than the Labor Party does with its voters. On Government debt Labor voters split 35% Labor/14% Liberal/42% no difference and on petrol and energy prices 37%/2%/50%. Comments »
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economic issues, economy, inflation, Interest rates, pension, petrol prices, superannuation, taxation, unemployment
Concern Regarding National Economic Issues
Q. How concerned are you personally about each of the following economic issues facing Australia today?
The issues that most people are very concerned about include food prices and inflation generally (55%), jobs going overseas (49%) and executive salaries (48%). A significant number of people are very concerned about petrol and energy prices (45%) and affordability of housing (41%).
Coalition voters were more likely to be very concerned about food prices and inflation generally (60%), jobs going overseas (57%) and Government debt (54%). Labor voters were more likely to be very concerned about executive wages (54%) and improving wages for low income earners (32%).
Females were more likely than males to be very concerned on most issues, in particular food prices and inflation generally (66% v 45%), improving wages for low income earners (34% v 22%) and unemployment (33% v 25%).