FINANCIAL MOMENT

EXTRA FINANCIAL SUPPORT COMING IN MARCH

By Hank Jongen, General Manager, Services Australia

SERVICES Australia will be paying the fourth Economic Support Payment to eligible customers from early March.

This $250 payment will automatically go to people who are receiving a pension, Carer Allowance or Carer Payment, Family Tax Benefit and some concession cards on 26 February 2021.

If you’re eligible for the $250, you don’t need to do anything.

We will automatically deposit the money into your bank account.

You can check your eligibility for a payment or concession card at our website, servicesaustralia.gov.au/ paymentfinder.

Overpayments – we’re here to help

When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, the Government paused a range of debt raising and recovery work to help ease budget pressures.

That pause has now ended and this month we’re contacting people who owe money to support them in repaying it.

People don’t need to pay back any money before the due date in their letter, unless they choose to. If you owe money, we’re here to help you.

We can work with you to help you understand the reason for the overpayment, and set up a repayment plan that works best for your situation.

We also have a range of support services to help you.

This includes specialist staff, such as social workers, who can provide short term counselling, information and referrals to other services.

We understand there’s no one size fits all when it comes to repaying money, that’s why we have information to help you make decisions about how you repay the money.

You can manage repayments by using the ‘Money You Owe’ service in your Centrelink online account through myGov and the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

We know many Australians are still doing it tough during these challenging times, so we encourage people to contact us on their regular payment line if they need support.

For more information, visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/ debts.

We’re merging to become Spirit Super from 1 April 2021.

Find out more at tasplan.com.au/merger-info

Issued by Tasplan Pty Ltd. For further information in relation to whether to acquire or hold the products referred to, please read our guides at tasplan.com.au/pds. The trustee of Tasplan Super (ABN 14 602 032 302) is Tasplan Pty Ltd (ABN 13 009 563 062). AFSL 235391. © 2021 Tasplan Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer and exercise

By Jo Cordell-Cooper*

COMING out of COVID, I thought I might do some professional learning while my private gym was quiet, and I decided to train as a cancer exercise specialist.

I’ve been dealing with quite complex clients for years now and some of them have had cancer, but I felt that to consider working with clients at all stages of cancer required more expertise.

I registered for the most suitable course I could find, the US based Cancer Exercise Training Institute.

It was an eye opening and confronting course, but it has a huge global support network for personal trainers just like me that want to help people with cancer.

Many of the participants were personal trainers with cancer.

Cancer shows no bias, wreaking havoc in the healthiest bodies as well as those with multiple complexities.

Having said that, living a healthy life does reduce your risk of cancer – I’ll talk about that another time.

Exercise has long been recognised as part of a cancer recover regime.

There are many benefits to exercising before and after surgery.

The improved muscle tone and strength improves surgical outcomes.

The same can be said for most surgical procedures, not just for those with cancer.

The benefits for the person on chemotherapy are impressive.

What kind of exercise is suitable you might ask?

It is not rocket science – the types of exercise that has benefits for the general population is suitable, and can make you fitter, stronger, and help you maintain a healthy body weight.

There are also mental health benefits such as improved mood, reduced fatigue, and a boost in confidence.

Walking, bike riding, weight training, swimming, stretching are all recommended.

The key thing if you are resuming an exercise program following surgery and treatment, is that there will be guidelines to follow and a medical clearance is essential.

Your body may feel different and you may have lost a little confidence in what your body can do.

You may adapt protective postures if you have a surgical scar or amputation.

Working with an appropriately trained and experienced personal trainer is key at this stage.

Beyond feeling empowered, is the compelling evidence that research repeatedly shows a longer life span and less re-occurrence of cancer in those who exercise regularly, when compared to those who did not.

Being able to maintain a healthy body weight is also key in managing cancer as body fat often harbours sex hormone oestrogen that feeds tumour growth.

It’s a complex condition that often sees women having a hysterectomy which then leads to surgical menopause and bone density issues.

A major part of a treatment regime in this case is weight training.

For an extended version of this article, visit www.jocc.com.au/blog.

*Jo Cordell-Cooper runs the award winning business Jo CC Holistic PT. For a free smoothies recipe book go to www. jocc.com.au/smoothies. Make contact directly on 0409 862 206, or jo@ jocc.com.au for personal training and wellness coaching.