Pensioners up for one-off energy payment

The federal government is introducing legislation offering pensioners one-off energy payments and reinstating concession cards taken from almost 100,000 people.

Millions of pensioners are in line for one-off payments to help with energy bills under new legislation bound for federal parliament which also reinstates concession cards to more than 92,000 people.

Singles would pocket $75 and couples $125 by the end of June under the bill, which flows from a deal struck between the coalition government and Nick Xenophon to ensure his support for company tax cuts.

The $269 million package, to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday, would be split among the country's 3.8 million pensioners:

* 2.5 million age pensioners;

* 770,000 disability support pensioners;

* 260,000 single parent pensioners; and

* 235,000 veteran payment recipients.

Under the legislation concession cards would also be reissued to 92,300 former part-pension recipients, who lost their cards at the start of the year as a consequence of changes to asset tests.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter said the government recognised those whose cards were cancelled had lost access to commonwealth hearing services as well as a range of public and private concessions.

"Although most of those concessions are not provided by the commonwealth, we are restoring the pension concession card to these pensioners so they can continue to access these benefits," he said.

Reinstating the cards is expected to cost $3.1 million.


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Source: AAP



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