Media Release: No Guarantee Older Australians Will be Protected from Fuel Crisis

Older Australians are at risk of losing access to essential services that support them in their own homes after the Albanese Labor Government failed to guarantee home care providers will have uninterrupted access to fuel.

When asked about the impacts of the worsening fuel crisis in Senate Question Time today, the Albanese Government refused to say whether home care workers are recognised as essential fuel users under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act.

Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care Senator Ruston said it was clear through the Government’s refusal to answer simple questions on the Act that essential aged care workers will not have assured access to the fuel they rely on to deliver home care services.

“You can’t deliver home care with an empty tank. If service providers cannot fill their cars, older Australians don’t get fed, don’t get showered, don’t get checked on. It’s that simple,” Senator Ruston said.

“All the Government could say is that they are ‘monitoring the situation’ and that home care providers can access free business advice. Providers don’t need business advice; they need certainty and confidence that they will be able to continue operating through this crisis.

“Home care workers rely on fuel every day to reach older Australians, especially in rural and regional communities. Yet providers are warning they are not recognised as essential fuel users, raising real concerns for the continuity of care.”

Senator Ruston said that the impacts of the fuel crisis were already being felt across the aged care sector.

“We have heard directly from Meals on Wheels Australia that rising fuel costs and limited availability are already impacting services across the country,” Senator Ruston said.

“If this continues, older Australians who rely on these services for their nutrition, safety and wellbeing will be put at risk.

“Providers are also being forced to consider increasing travel charges just to stay viable, which means older Australians could receive less care because their package funding won’t stretch as far.”

This comes at a time when the aged care system is already under pressure from the Albanese Government’s botched rollout of the new Support at Home rollout, with rationed funding and blown-out waitlists already harming older Australians’ access to the care they need.

“With global energy disruptions set to continue, the Government must urgently guarantee that older Australians will not lose access to the care that essential services like Meals on Wheels provide and ensure services can keep operating through this crisis,” Senator Ruston said.

“Older Australians deserve a system that is reliable and resilient, not one that is leaving older Australians exposed by poor management and reckless policy.”

ENDS