Rising prices are transforming the lives of thousands of retirees in Australia, and Annette Bleney is one of the faces of this reality. At the age of 71, she was forced to sell the house where she lived, on the Capricorn coast, and move to her daughter due to financial difficulties.
For years, he believed that retirement would be a peaceful phase, but the rising cost of living ended up robbing him of his independence. “I can’t even afford new glasses and it’s hard for me to make it to the end of the month”, she told ABC News, visibly emotional.
Insufficient pension
The woman explains that she lived on a modest pension, insufficient to cover all expenses. The old car he still owns has become yet another burden: “We have to pay for gas and change tires. I’m tired of looking for the cheapest gas station. I can’t take it anymore.”, he revealed, quoted by the Spanish portal Noticias Trabajo.
The accumulated invoices ended up being the breaking point. “I lived one day at a time, but when I knew a bill was coming, I thought: ‘My God, how am I going to pay this now?’”, he confesses.
A painful but inevitable decision
Given this scenario, the only option was to sell the house and leave. Annette packed her bags and went to live with her daughter, about 50 kilometers away. “The idea is to have my home again, in an apartment close to hers, but for now it’s not possible,” he says.
With less space and a new routine, he also had to cut expenses. “The car was the biggest burden on my budget. I made a lot of trips between the city and the beach. Recently, I had to ask my brother to help me pay for repairs.”
Your pension is 1,280 euros per month, a value that in Australia corresponds to the so-called old age pension. Beneficiaries receive payment every two weeks: 1,149 Australian dollars (approximately 643 euros) for those living alone, and 886 dollars (approximately 495 euros) per person for couples.
Annette worked for 45 years and, as she says, “I was used to receiving my salary and managing my own money”. However, the reality of retirement forced her to learn how to budget strictly. “Times have changed and so have the cost of living. You only need to go to the supermarket to realize how much everything has gone up.”
A problem that affects thousands
A recent report revealed that one in five Australians lives in poverty. The Government has sought to ease financial pressure by increasing pensions twice a year, in March and September.
The group National Seniors Australia argues that strengthening pensions is not only a matter of dignity, but also of economic balance. “Many retirees face great difficulties covering the cost of living with their current pensions,” explained director Chris Grice.
In the last update, the increase was only four dollars. This time, a greater adjustment is expected. “We are satisfied, because the indexation value has increased”, stated one of the association’s representatives, noting that the situation is urgent.
To try to minimize needs, many elderly people have turned to support networks and social programs. Several groups promote affordable services, from basic care to reduced-price meals.
Solidarity food and hope
According to , one of the most popular measures is the creation of soup kitchens for retired people. In these spaces, meals are almost symbolic and help to alleviate the burden of bills. “It’s cheap and I usually take two menus home,” said Denise Andrijasic, a Rockhampton resident. “I don’t even cook that much anymore.”
Other retirees remember that the pension is an earned right. “We have paid taxes our entire lives. It’s only right that we can live with dignity”, said an elderly woman. “Today, even a simple purchase at the supermarket costs a fortune. With large families, it is practically impossible.”
Annette’s story mirrors a reality that repeats itself in many developed countries: rising prices are turning the dream of retirement into a daily challenge. Between bills, fuel and food, every euro counts, and the future has become uncertain.
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