Do Pensioners (welfare recipients) have it easy?

Tweet

A woman in Australia has opened a proverbial can of worms by claiming that Australian pensioners have it easy and that with the pension rates they receive they could live like millionaires. Australian pensioners (welfare recipients) receive about $350 per week. If they are renting a property to live in they receive up to an additional $56.50 per week towards their rent. Now while this may sound like a lot of money compared to some countries you have to take into account the cost of living in Australia. Here are a few examples. Gas $5.50 per gallon Rent: In my area (one of the cheapest), the minimum rent is $240 per week for an apartment or $290 per week for a three bedroom house. Minimum grocery cost for a family of two = $80 Phone rental: $7.50 a week with phone calls costing 20 cents each Electricity: $25 per week These figures don't include medical costs (prescriptions etc), car maintenance, home maintenance, gas used for cooking/heating or anything else. So based on a minimum gas usage of 8 gallons per week you have a weekly costs figure of $396.50 to $446.50... with total income being up to $406.50. And remember, this doesn't include the other things mentioned in this paragraph. So what do you think... do Australian welfare recipients have it easy? Or is the woman who made the claim suffering from dementia? (I choose that rather than some less flattering descriptions). Oh, it should be noted that the woman who made the claim lives in public housing and pays only $69 per week rent... maybe SHE is living on easy street!!!