text: 6467.0 - Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index, June 2009
  Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/08/2009 First Issue
  New Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index released today: ABS (Media Release)
  Mar Qtr 2009 to Jun Qtr 2009 % change
  Jun Qtr 2008 to Jun Qtr 2009 % change
  PBLCI - All Groups, Contribution to quarter change - June quarter 2009
  rose 0.1% for the June quarter 2009, compared with a rise of 0.9% in the March quarter 2009.
  showed a smaller increase for the June quarter 2009 than the CPI (+0.5%).
  rose 2.3% through the year to June quarter 2009, compared to an annual rise of 3.5% to March quarter 2009.
  showed a larger increase through the year to June quarter 2009 than the CPI (+1.5%).
  The most significant price rises this quarter were for household contents and services (+2.2%) and transportation (+1.8%).
  The most significant offsetting price falls this quarter were for financial and insurance services (-6.3%) and food (-1.4%).
  To allow comparison with the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index, all index numbers in this publication use a reference base of June quarter 2007 = 100.0. Percentage changes for the Consumer Price Index and Analytical Living Cost Indexes used in this publication are, however, as published in Consumer Price Index, Australia (cat. no. 6401.0) and Analytical Living Cost Indexes for Selected Australian Household Types (cat. no. 6463.0).
  The PBLCI has been derived by combining the age pensioner Analytical Living Cost Indexes (ALCI) and the other government transfer recipients ALCI. Living cost indexes are intended to measure the impact of changes in prices on the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by these particular household types.
  In the June quarter 2009 the PBLCI increased by 0.1%. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.5% over the same period.
  Since the PBLCI series began in June quarter 2007 it has risen 7.1%, compared to 6.0% for the CPI. When there have been differences, these have come about for a number of reasons that relate to factors that affect the component series used to compile the PBLCI. The inclusion of mortgage interest and consumer credit charges and the different treatments of housing and insurance in the PBLCI result in variations between the PBLCI and the CPI series. The expenditure patterns of age pensioner and other government transfer recipient households differ from those of the overall household sector covered by the CPI. This also contributes to differences in the percentage changes.
  The PBLCI increased 0.1% for the June quarter 2009. Household contents and services (+2.2%) made the greatest contribution to the quarterly rise due to increases in furniture and furnishings. Transportation (+1.8%) also saw increases for the quarter as a result of rises in automotive fuel.
  The most significant offsets were provided by financial and insurance services (-6.3%) and food (-1.4%) due to falls in interest charges and fruit and vegetable prices respectively.
  The PBLCI showed a smaller increase (+0.1%) than the CPI (+0.5%) for the quarter. PBLCI households have a relatively higher proportion of expenditure on food items than the wider CPI population group, especially for fruit and vegetables, which recorded large drops for the quarter. Conceptual differences in the measurement of financial and insurance services and housing also result in differences in the movements between the PBLCI and CPI.
  The PBLCI increased 2.3% for the year to June quarter 2009. Housing (+6.9%) and food (+4.7%) made the greatest contributions to the annual rise. Offsets were provided by transportation (-8.2%) and financial and insurance services (-5.3%).
  Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index and CPI, All groups - Percentage change (from previous quarter)
  Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index and CPI (re-referenced), index numbers
  (a) Reference base of index: June quarter 2007 = 100.0.
  Table 2: Percentage change in analytical living cost indexes, PBLCI and CPI, Commodity group - March quarter 2009 to June quarter 2009
  Table 3: Points contribution to quarterly change, March quarter 2009 to June quarter 2009 - index points
  (a) Re-referenced to base of June quarter 2007 = 100.0.
  (b) Reference base of index: June quarter 2007 = 100.0.
  Table 4: Contribution to total index, Commodity group - March quarter 2009 to June quarter 2009 - index points
  Table 5: Percentage change in analytical living cost indexes, PBLCI and CPI, Commodity group - June quarter 2008 to June quarter 2009
  Table 6: Points contribution to annual change, June quarter 2008 to June quarter 2009 - index points
  Table 7: Contributions to total index, Commodity group, June quarter 2008 to June quarter 2009 - index points