Concerns over retirement income security

#971 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 5 Oct 2014.

A report released on Wednesday, to mark the International Day of Older People, has good and bad news for Australian senior citizens.

In the Global AgeWatch Index 2014, a worldwide study of life and well-being of older people, the unemployment rate of our senior citizens ranked among the world’s lowest, while the outlook for life expectancy and psychological well-being placed Australia among the top five nations.

But on retirement income security, Australia ranked 61st out of 96 countries surveyed, leading to calls for the federal government to shelve changes to the age pension.

Overall, Australia ranked 13th as the best country for elderly people to live.

The young can easily dismiss or marginalise older people. But they have a great deal to offer. The least we can do is work to ensure that older people enjoy their time of life to the full, such as through greater income security.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.