(1)   Is the Minister aware that pensioner couples in receipt of Utilities Allowance receive the same amount of Allowance as pensioner singles.

(2)   Can the Minister confirm the basis for differential payments between pensioner couples and singles that have shown single people need a higher level of income to maintain a standard of living similar to that of couples.

(3)   Which studies has the department relied on to establish the current position and, in respect of each study, (a) what year was it completed, (c) who was its author, and (d) which areas in Australia or which overseas countries were the focus of the study.

(4)   Will the Minister commission a taskforce to investigate the current real average living costs of pensioners; if not why not.

(1)   Yes.

(2)   The social security system recognises that single pensioners need more income to have a similar standard of living to, and run a household like, couples. Couples gain economies and advantages from living together. Single people cannot usually share costs, such as electricity, telephone, heating and house maintenance.

(3)   The differential rate of pension paid to members of a couple and single pensioners was introduced in 1963. No single study can be considered as specifically determining the relativities. The relativities of pension payment rates have been subject to extensive consideration, in the context of formal reviews of aspects of the social security system, ongoing analysis within the Department of Family and Community Services and its predecessors and debate within the academic and wider community.

(4)   As data on the real average living costs of households, including pensioners is available from the regular Household Expenditure Survey undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there is no need for a taskforce to be established for this purpose.