Scrap cap on water concession to relieve pressure on ‘the basics’
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‘Caps on the water concession for pensioners and other low income households in Victoria must be scrapped to help keep pace with massive hikes in the price of water from July 1,’ said Victorian Council of Social Service Acting Chief Executive, Carolyn Atkins.
‘Because of rapidly rising prices, the cost of basics like energy and water are eating up more and more of people’s fixed incomes,’ Ms Atkins said.
‘Already more than one in 20 households in Victoria are struggling to put food on their tables. Price rises like this – of up to eight times the rate of inflation – will massively add to the pressure.”
‘VCOSS welcomed the State Government’s decision to boost the current cap on water concessions in the last State Budget, but now is the time for the cap to be scrapped to better support households with the costs of basics.’
VCOSS’s 2010 State election platform, released this week, is calling on all major parties to ensure all households in Victoria can afford the basic essentials – electricity, gas and water.
Click to see VCOSS’s State election platform – The Basics or the full platform.
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