These are the question occupying the minds of older Australians following this week's Federal Budget. However, the measures have generated a lot of confusion and debate about just how generous they really are. All three benefits are limited to people of pension age - 65 for men and between 60 and 65 for women, depending on when they were born.
Early retirees miss out.
The two rebates are also means-tested. Mr Phil La Greca, technical manager of AM Corporation, says it's important to realise that these are rebates, not refunds. So unless you have a taxable income to offset the rebates, they are of no benefit. Ms Barbara Smith, technical director of Taxpayer's Australia, says it is also important to realise that the rebate is not the same as a tax-free threshold. So they have no tax to pay.