The Government has announced the following increases to Age Pensions, Disability Pension & the same applies to Service Pensions for DVA The maximum rate of Age, Disability & Service pension (DVA) per fortnight   Basic rate Plus + Supplements Total pension Single $814.00pf $66.30 +$14.10 $894.40pf Couple $613.60 $50.00 +$10.60 $674.20pf each $1348.40pf combined Illness […]

The Government has announced the indexation to the Aged Care Fees for September, only the Basic Daily Care Fee changes affect existing residents. Post July 2014 Residents, Basic Daily Care Fee (BDCF) $49.42/day Annual Limit of Means Tested Fee $26,566.54pa Lifetime limit of Means Tested Fee $63,759.75   Pre July 2014 Residents Basic Daily Care […]

Due to a fire in the Telstra exhange at Parklea, our phone lines are not working to their full capacity. If you are having trouble getting through to us, we apologise. Please call on (02) 8814-7385 or email us at info@thebalancegroup.com.au if you are unable to reach us and we will respond to you as […]

Wondering about Home Care? DId you know that there are multiple home care packages that are available to Australians who wish to stay at home for longer? Listen to Eric explain Home Care Packages with The Donaldson Sisters and Clinton on 2UE Talking Lifestyle on behalf of Southern Cross Care. Click Here to be taken to the Podcast.

The Government has announced the indexation to the Aged Care Fees for March, only the Basic Daily Care Fee changes affect existing residents. Post July 2014 Residents, Basic Daily Care Fee (BDCF) $49.07/day Annual Limit of Means Tested Fee $26,380.51pa Lifetime limit of Means Tested Fee $63,313.28   Pre July 2014 Residents Basic Daily Care […]

The Government has announced the following increases to Age Pensions, Disability Pension & the same applies to Service Pensions for DVA The maximum rate of Age, Disability & Service pension (DVA) per fortnight   Basic rate Plus + Supplements Total pension Single $808.30pf $65.90 +$14.10 $888.30pf Couple $609.30 $49.70 +$10.60 $669.60pf each $1339.20pf combined Illness […]

If you were one of the unlucky ones, whose pension dropped or stopped as a consequence of the changes to the assets test taper changes that came into effect on the 1st January 2017, & if you happen to be in an Aged Care facility, then there is a strong chance that your cash flow (ie […]

Each quarter we select a winner from those people who have referred other clients to us, for aged care advice. We appreciate the referral and hence draw a winner each quarter and offer them a dinner for two to the value of $250. The winner for March 2017 is Paul Taranto! Thank you Paul for […]

All retirees have been feeling the pinch of historically low interest rates, since the GFC, only to be compounded by changes to the Age Pension criteria, brought in by successive Governments, over the last 2 years, which have seen Age Pension entitlements also fall. There have been at least 4 changes in the last 2 […]

Thank you to all of you for “liking Us” on Facebook. As a consequence of those likes, as promised, we have donated $250 today to Huntington’s Disease research. The more “likes” we receive the more we will donate to help find a cure for this insidious disease, which seems to strike most people around the […]