Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) has proposed an independent body to review welfare entitlements to ensure that Australian pensioners and others on benefits are no longer “fed the scraps from the political table”.

The proposal for an independent Entitlements Commission was made in a discussion paper lodged as part of a CSSA submission to a Federal Government pension review which closed last Friday.

Centacare Brisbane executive director Peter Selwood has also supported the proposal, seeing it as a way to ensure fairer outcomes for elderly and vulnerable members of the community, particularly single aged pensioners.

CSSA executive director Frank Quinlan said the proposed commission would set and review pensions and other income support payments annually.

He said the current arguments between the Federal Government and Opposition parties over payment amounts and the timing of such payments were a perfect example of why such a body should be created.

“In many ways it’s unreasonable to expect politicians can make such decisions effectively,” Mr Quinlan said.

“Decisions on such needs should be undertaken in a scientific and reasoned way – away from the political process.

“Evidence is mounting up that the current system is inadequate to meet community needs and in fact the situation has become so serious that better long-term solutions are required.

“An independent Entitlements Commission would be one such solution.”

Mr Quinlan said the commission would operate at arm’s length from government in much the same way as the Fair Pay Commission, the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

“Why should those on benefits only be fed the scraps from the political table?” he said.

“An independent tribunal determines the salaries federal politicians and other public servants are entitled to receive, this Entitlements Commission extends that principle to all those dependent upon government benefits for their livelihood.

“Successive Australian governments have avoided making judgments about what an acceptable living standard for Australians on benefits might be.

“The current system is full of anomalies born of random payments and bonuses that arise out of political whim and historic accidents rather than good social policy.”

Mr Quinlan made the comments as the Coalition prepared to introduce a private member’s bill into the Senate to lift the single pension by $30 a week. The bill was passed in the Senate on Monday night.

When the bill was first discussed, then Opposition leader Brendan Nelson said that “to live on $273 a week ... is the most distressing and hardest thing that close to 900,000 (single aged pensioners) are doing”.

However, the Government countered by saying that the Coalition plan would increase the income test cut-out by $75 a week for a single pensioner and would also leave out many other deserving pensioners.

Mr Selwood said he totally supported the CSSA proposal for an independent Entitlements Commission.

“The politicisation of an important social service that makes sure elderly and other vulnerable members of the community are well cared for is extremely dangerous,” Mr Selwood said.

“To have an independent body to make ruling on pension and welfare entitlements is a good thing.”

Mr Selwood said the evidence was that the current system was particularly hard on sole aged pensioners many of whom were assisted by Centacare at respite centres.

“There’s no argument from politicians that these people are having a particularly hard time of it,” he said.

“Any federal politician when asked will admit they couldn’t exist on that sort of money.

“However, we keep hearing that no review of entitlements will happen until next year.

“We urge all political parties to support the CSSA proposal.

“You need to take this whole issue out of the political arena to get a swifter – and fairer – outcome.”

Released by The Catholic Leader