While many Australians are feeling the impact of cost of living increases, it is age pensioners who are being hit the hardest.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, living costs increased by 2.6 per cent for working households in the December 2021 quarter.
For age pension households, that figure was 3.4 per cent.
It means those who were feeling the pinch a few years ago are really stretched now.
It's an issue that was front of mind earlier in the week as the federal government handed down its budget, and it will be front of mind for many during the upcoming federal election campaign.
But what is life actually like for some of those Australians relying on the age pension, and what do they want to see changed?
Life on 'struggle street'
In the town of Ulverstone, on Tasmania's north-west coast, age pensioners Maria and Peter Haywood are watching every penny.
"It's struggle street all the time," Ms Haywood said.
When the couple shops for groceries, they are selective.
The couple keeps their electricity use to a minimum and will often use a torch instead of turning their lights on at night.
Their heat pump doesn't go above 18 degrees, which means Ms Haywood always has a rug over her knees.
"Peter does the same. To keep your knees warm, that's how we do it," she said.
The couple worked until their mid-60s but recently, Mr Haywood, who is 72, took on a position as a casual farm labourer to help make ends meet.
They run a small car but can't afford to fully insure it, and describe petrol prices as "unbelievable" and "over the top."
The cost of transport is increasingly becoming an issue for people living in the coastal region.
Ulverstone is 123 kilometres from the city of Launceston and 302 kilometres from Hobart.
Accessing health care is also difficult.
Ms Haywood, who is 80, keeps fit with regular sessions at the gym and does yoga classes.
But she has been waiting a year for elective surgery, despite being the highest priority on the waitlist.
Socialising, dining out sacrificed
The Haywoods live in social housing, where rent is based on income.
Their next-door neighbour Helen Martin is in a similar financial situation, relying solely on the age pension to get by.
"You've just got to go without," the 76-year-old said.
That means limiting food choices and social activities.
"You can't say to the children, 'Come down, I'm going to cook a roast' because meat is expensive," Ms Martin said.
She enjoys a weekly trip to the bowls club at Devonport and plays bingo — but she would like to do more.
"But you go and get your loaf of bread and make your own toasted sandwich and cup of coffee at home because it's cheaper."
Ms Martin said that while the cost of living for pensioners was a big issue, she was doubtful anything would be done about it.
"If there is no money, they can't give us an increase every time someone moans and groans about the pension," she said.
'$20 isn't going to go that far'
The age pension has recently gone up $20.10 per fortnight for singles to $987.60.
And a fortnightly increase of $15.10 for couples means they now receive $744.40.
It's the biggest boost to the payment in almost a decade.
But Maggie Hawes, who lives in the ACT, doesn't believe it will make much difference to the quality of life of those relying on it.
"For people who have only got the pension, $20 isn't going to go that far," Ms Hawes said.
"They might be grateful for it but, really?
Ms Hawes owns her own home in Canberra and receives the age pension, which she tops up with savings and superannuation.
The 77-year-old worked hard and went without for most of her life to achieve a comfortable retirement.
"I've had more jobs than hot dinners," she said.
"But it used to worry me that I'd get old and have nothing still, so yes, I did work towards it.
Ms Hawes had been married for 55 years when her husband, Michael, died a few years ago.
After his death, she quickly realised the importance of being social and staying connected.
A friend talked her into joining a gymnastics club for those over 50, where she now trains a couple of times a week.
"After she nagged me for nearly a year, I went to watch to keep her quiet and I got sucked in," Ms Hawes said.
"For your balance, it's brilliant. It's great for memory and strength, too.
"But it's the friendships, as well. It's lovely and social, and it keeps us fit and healthy."
The team's coach, Naomi Nye, is constantly impressed by their agility and determination.
"It inspires me to get out of bed," Ms Nye said.
"They amaze me every week and when I think I've pushed them, they ask for more."
The classes are heavily subsidised by the club — the Woden Valley Gymnastics Club.
Ms Nye is confident numbers would drop if that wasn't the case.
"My fear is that people wouldn't come if our athletes had to pay full fees," she said.
"People would find it very unaffordable so they wouldn't be able to participate or come as often, and they'd miss out on those social connections and being able to be active."
'People are so grateful': Volunteer group making a difference
In Tasmania, there's a recognition of the strain many on the age pension are under.
A community group based out of a small country town hall at Weegena, in the state's north, is doing what it can to help.
Volunteers from Tasmania Covid Awareness and Community Support gather at the hall most weeks to pack boxes with masks, sanitiser and cleaning products — all of which have been bought using money raised by the group.
The boxes are then delivered to older Tasmanians across the state.
"Masks are expensive. Good quality ones, in particular, are quite expensive."
Ms Pelly said the packs were making a real difference to those who received them.
"The response has been really overwhelming," she said.
"It's so important for people's mental health as well, that they have people who care about them in the community."
Giving back a boost of energy
When it comes to formal volunteering, Tasmanians do the most.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows 34 per cent of Tasmanians volunteer through an organisation.
Victorians come in at a close second, with 32 per cent, while 30 per cent of Canberrans volunteer their time.
Research shows that for older people, volunteering boosts mental and physical health, and reduces feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
It also provides a sense of purpose and helps to foster new friendships later in life.
For people like Olwyn-Anne Cook, helping others is "what we were put on this earth for".
Ms Cook, who lives over the border from Canberra in Queanbeyan, can attest to the benefits of giving back.
She volunteers at least four times a week.
Every Monday, the 80-year-old can be found turning food donations into meals for the needy at a church-run drop-in centre just a short drive from her home.
It's a role Ms Cook took up within days of arriving in Australia from France in 2014.
"I just love going there, not knowing what there's going to be in the kitchen, in the pantry, in the freezers, and just making a meal other people appreciate."
Ms Cook and her late husband, Peter, spent 18 years running a pub in the United Kingdom, with much of Ms Cook's time spent in the kitchen.
It shows, Father Michael Cockayne, who runs the drop-in centre, said.
"If she hasn't got Gravox, she'll use pumpkin soup and turn it into a very tasty gravy, which is a brilliant skill given what we do.
"She's so active and fun, we're really lucky to have her."
But Ms Cook insists that she is actually the lucky one.
"I just love a variety of life. I wish I was 20 years younger because living is wonderful."
Government 'ought to sit up and listen' to older Australians
With a federal election looming, Ms Cook believes the needs of older Australians who are struggling to make ends meet should be front of mind for politicians.
"I hear what people are saying and they're always saying, 'Oh, there's a new park going here for sport and the children are getting this' — the seniors sometimes feel neglected," she said.
It's a sentiment Maggie Hawes shares.
"If they don't, they could be in trouble."
Back in Ulverstone, Maria Haywood would love to be able to afford a pedicure or a massage but can't see her financial situation improving enough to allow for little luxuries.
"They give it to you with one hand and take it away with the other," she said.
"I can't see it any other way — it's the way the federal government has always acted."
Her neighbour Helen Martin dreams of being able to afford a trip to Western Australia to visit her daughter and grandchildren.
But she said the pension won't stretch that far.
"It is hard but you learn to survive on it," she said.
