Refugees not paid more than pensioners - hoax email

Letter to the Editor - Whitehorse Leader
21 February 2008

Dear Sir/Madam

In response to Mr Sauerwein's letter (Prioritise pensioners, letters, 20/2/08) regarding a claim that more monthly assistance is provided to refugee entrants than to pensioners, let me tell him there is no truth to the report.

Mr Sauerwein, like many other Australians, has fallen victim to a hoax email.

The monthly allowance figures quoted in the letter bear no resemblance to the payments provided to single people under Australia's income support system, or to payments available to asylum seekers under the Asylum Seeker Assistance scheme.

The text and figures used in the letter appear in a number of Canadian emails, websites and internet chatrooms which attribute the complaint to Canada's payments to refugees and pensioners. This suggests that the complaint neither originated in, nor originally related to, Australia.

In Australia's case, refugees granted permanent visas are permanent residents, and can gain access to Centrelink benefits if they need them on the same basis and at the same rates as any other Australian permanent resident.

Sandi Logan
National Communications Manager,
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6264 2244