Elderly woman’s heartbreaking confession as she details the gruelling way she survives on her pension as the cost of living continues to spiral
- Pensioner Pat Isaacs, 78, is struggling to survive due to the high cost of living
- Medical costs and a huge spike in grocery prices have made her more anxious
- Labelled Scott Morrison other Australian politicians completely ‘out of touch’
- Many struggling Aussies on the Age Pension receive as little as $900 a fortnight
Australia’s sore cost of living is financially crippling pensioners, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
Pat Isaacs, 78, from Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands region, is in a constant state of anxiety due to rising prices.
She doesn’t have any superannuation or investments. She lives off the Age Pension.
She doesn’t eat meat because she can’t afford it and she never buys new clothes.
Alcohol and cigarettes are out of the question as they are too pricey.
As grocery prices have increased in recent months, she has struggled to stretch her money beyond the essentials.
Pat Isaacs, 78, is in a constant state of anxiety as she relies on the Age Pension to survive
She doesn’t have any superannuation or investments. She lives off the Age Pension. She doesn’t eat meat because she can’t afford it and she never buys new clothes (stock image)
‘Long term, I’m not sure I will survive,’ she said.
‘W’hat would (Prime Minister) Scomo and his mates know about my reality? They get a third of my week’s income for meal allowance each day.
‘They are so out of touch with real issues.’
Ms Isaacs isnt alone in her frustration.
It is estimated 1.5million older Australians rely on the age pension as their main source of income, which equates to just over $900 a fortnight for singles or just over $25,000 annually.
Shockingly, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed countless pensioners have endured the highest annual increase in living costs in 16 years.
Many are battling financially, and don’t tell their family due to embarrassment or to avoid feeling like a burden.
She labeled Prime Minister Scott Morrison – who earns at least $500,000 a year – ‘completely out of touch’
Medical bills and a huge spike in grocery prices have many elderly residents across Australia on edge (stock image)
Ian Henschke is the Chief Advocate for National Seniors, a not-for-profit organization campaigning for better outcomes for older Australians.
He said the situation needs to be addressed by the federal and state governments urgently.
‘We’ve got pensioners living in poverty and they are out of sight, out of mind,’ Henschke told Nine News.
‘And no one is caring about it. The age pension is not adequate to provide for all Australians.
‘We’ve got roughly one in four older Australians living in poverty. And the fastest growing are single women who are renting.’
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