Ms ROSOL – Just a question from stakeholders around the Seniors Card communications. There’s been some recent changes in with the Seniors Card, and they’ve relied on a website for update, but there are many older people who aren’t online or they’re not very confident with online information. Will you commit to plain language letters and outbound calls for major changes affecting seniors rather than web only updates that they find difficult to access?
Mrs ARCHER – I might just refer to the Secretary.
Mr WEBSTER – Through you, minister, I’m advised that Seniors Card is administered through Service Tasmania and, unfortunately, we don’t have direct access to them at the moment, but we are developing an age friendly version of the concessions guide going forward. And, of course, the concession guide is actually published in hard copy as well and available through Service Tasmania offices, so not just online. As it’s updated, it will be rebadged and re‑available in there.
Mrs ARCHER – And certainly something you could keep available in your office as well.
Ms DOW – Yeah, thank you. Just in terms of, again, this might come under another portfolio, I’m not sure, but just around take ups of concessions for cost-of-living measures for older Tasmanians. The information about that is kind of across many portals because it affects many different areas and older people report that the complexity of that and they’re not aware of some of what’s available to them, which I think gets back to those communications being online, that kind of thing. With those cost-of-living measures, how much of those reached older Tasmanians? Are you able to track how much reach older Tasmanians by postcode and program and what was left unclaimed of that?
Mrs ARCHER – Did you have some specific examples of programs?
Ms ROSOL – I don’t have specific examples of the programs, no. I guess it’s just an awareness that older people aren’t accessing what’s available to them, and if you have any kind of oversight of that and any way of assisting in that area and having –
Mrs ARCHER – I’m happy to take it on notice and see if we can find some more information. Certainly, in relation to some programs like Ticket to Wellbeing, they had a very, very strong take up of that program, which is good and positive.
Just as an aside, I suppose, note that some of the questions that you’re asking, I think kind of speak to that navigation aspect as well and that is some of the important work for example that COTA Tasmania does in helping older Tasmanians to navigate what services are available and having that, you know one door approach as well.
