MORE than 47,000 pensioners in the Wannon and Corangamite electorates will this week start receiving their share of $10.4 million in cash payments from the federal government’s carbon tax incentive package.
Full and part pensioners will receive a lump sum of $250 for singles and $380 for couples combined straight into their bank accounts or by cheque.
The payment notification from federal cabinet minister Jenny Macklin yesterday forecast another boost next year with an ongoing rise in fortnightly payments from March.
In total, 24,000 pensioners in Wannon and 23,100 in Corangamite would get about $338 extra a year for singles and $510 extra for couples, she said.
Other lump sum extra payments went to about 10,000 families in Wannon and about 11,000 in Corangamite in the past few weeks while next month self-funded retirees, veterans, students and other eligible households will receive their share of the goverment’s stimulus package.
In July, wage earners will get their share with 46,000 in Wannon and about 50,000 in Corangamite.
“As part of our household assistance package we’re taking care to make sure pensioners have the support they need to keep up with the cost of living,” Ms Macklin said.
Before the carbon tax comes in on July 1, the government will spend $14 million — or about $270,000 a day — on an information campaign about the household assistance package, but the ads make no mention of the new tax.