As living costs continue to climb across Australia, millions of pensioners and disability support recipients are set to receive welcomed financial relief through significant payment increases. The newly announced pension adjustments for 2024 bring substantial changes to payment rates, thresholds, and supplement amounts that will impact household budgets for many of Australia’s most vulnerable citizens.
Australian pensioners have been navigating increasingly challenging economic conditions, with everyday essentials from groceries to energy bills straining fixed incomes.
The federal government has responded to these pressures with one of the most substantial pension increases in recent years, implementing adjustments that will deliver much-needed financial relief to millions of Australians who depend on age and disability support payments.
These changes reflect both mandated indexation processes and additional policy responses to the escalating cost-of-living crisis affecting vulnerable citizens nationwide.
“This increase represents one of the most significant payment boosts we’ve seen in the pension system,” explains Margaret Thompson, a financial counselor who specializes in supporting seniors and disability clients through Centrelink processes.
“For many of my clients living exclusively on pension payments, these adjustments will make a genuine difference to their household budgets – not solving all financial challenges, certainly, but providing meaningful relief at a time when it’s desperately needed.”
The comprehensive adjustments impact not only the base pension rates but also various supplements, thresholds, and eligibility criteria that together determine the total financial support package available to Age Pension and Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients.
Understanding these changes in detail is crucial for recipients and their families to maximize their entitlements and effectively plan their financial futures in what continues to be a challenging economic environment.
Key Payment Increases: Base Pension Rates
The cornerstone of the 2024 pension adjustment is the increase to base pension rates, which provides the foundation of financial support for both Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients.
These increases reflect both the standard indexation process, which ties pension rates to inflation and wage growth measures, and additional adjustments implemented in response to the ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
For single pensioners, the maximum base rate has increased to $1,004.60 per fortnight, representing a rise of $37.10 from the previous rate.
Couples will now receive a combined maximum base rate of $1,512.60 per fortnight, an increase of $56.00 from the previous payment level.
These adjustments equate to annual increases of approximately $965 for singles and $1,456 for couples – meaningful additions to fixed incomes during a period of significant financial pressure.
“The increase to base rates forms the foundation of the overall support package,” notes James Wilson, economist and social policy researcher at the University of Melbourne.
“While these adjustments may appear modest when viewed as fortnightly increases, their cumulative impact over the year represents significant additional purchasing power for pensioners who typically operate on very tight budgets with minimal discretionary spending.”
Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients receive the same base rates, reflecting the government’s recognition that essential living costs remain similar regardless of whether support is needed due to age or disability.
Both payment types also receive identical indexation adjustments, ensuring neither group falls behind the other in terms of purchasing power over time.
“The principle of payment parity between age and disability pensions is critically important,” explains disability advocate Sarah Chen of the Australian Disability Network.
“Disability-related costs often equal or exceed age-related expenses, with many DSP recipients facing additional financial burdens for specialized care, equipment, and transportation. Maintaining equivalent base rates acknowledges these parallel challenges faced by both recipient groups.”
It’s important to note that the stated maximum rates apply to recipients who meet the full eligibility criteria and are not reduced through income or assets testing.
Many pensioners receive partial payments based on their individual financial circumstances, but will still benefit proportionally from these increases based on their particular payment calculations.
Pension Supplement Increases
Beyond the base pension rate, most recipients also receive the Pension Supplement – a consolidated payment that replaces pharmaceutical allowance, utilities allowance, and other former supplementary payments.
This supplement has also seen meaningful increases in the 2024 adjustment cycle.
The maximum Pension Supplement for singles has increased to $81.60 per fortnight, while couples now receive a combined maximum of $123.00 per fortnight.
These amounts are automatically included in regular pension payments rather than being provided as separate deposits, though recipients can opt to receive a portion of the supplement quarterly rather than fortnightly if that payment schedule better suits their budgeting needs.
“The Pension Supplement provides critical support for managing essential recurring costs like medications, utility bills, and phone services,” Thompson points out.
“The increase to this supplement is particularly valuable because it helps address some of the most rapidly rising expense categories in recent years, particularly energy costs, which have placed extraordinary pressure on pensioner households.”
For recipients who qualify for the full rate, the Pension Supplement is paid automatically alongside the base pension without requiring separate applications.
However, those receiving partial pensions will receive a proportionally reduced supplement based on the same income and assets tests that affect their base payment rate.
“One aspect that often confuses clients is how the supplement adjusts with partial pension rates,” notes Thompson.
“Many people don’t realize that as their base pension reduces due to income or assets, their supplement amount reduces proportionally as well. This creates a double impact when crossing income or asset thresholds that can significantly affect total payment amounts.”
Importantly, even those whose circumstances disqualify them from receiving the base pension may still qualify for the minimum Pension Supplement if they meet certain residency requirements and remain below higher threshold limits.
This creates a gradual step-down effect rather than a complete cessation of all support when exceeding the main pension qualification thresholds.
Energy Supplement: Fixed Support Amid Rising Costs
Unlike the indexed components of pension payments, the Energy Supplement remains a fixed amount that does not increase through standard indexation processes.
In 2024, this supplement continues to provide $14.10 per fortnight for single pensioners and $10.60 per fortnight for each member of a couple.
“The Energy Supplement was originally introduced as compensation for the carbon pricing mechanism, and despite that policy being discontinued years ago, the supplement was retained as a permanent component of the pension package,” explains Wilson.
“However, its fixed nature means its real value continues to erode against actual energy price increases, which have significantly outpaced general inflation in recent years.”
Despite calls from advocacy groups to index the Energy Supplement to reflect actual energy price movements, the 2024 adjustments maintain the existing fixed rates.
This represents an area where many pensioner advocates believe further policy reform is needed, particularly as electricity and gas prices continue to place disproportionate pressure on fixed-income households.
“The static nature of the Energy Supplement has been a significant policy oversight,” argues Chen.
“Energy costs have risen dramatically, yet this dedicated supplement hasn’t increased to reflect that reality. Many disability pension recipients face above-average energy costs due to medical equipment needs or temperature sensitivity related to their conditions, making this oversight particularly problematic for the disability community.”
The supplement is paid automatically alongside regular pension payments for eligible recipients and doesn’t require a separate application.
Unlike some other components, the Energy Supplement is not reduced by income or assets testing, meaning all eligible pensioners receive the full amount regardless of their financial circumstances.
Rent Assistance: Relief for the Most Vulnerable
Commonwealth Rent Assistance provides crucial additional support for pensioners who rent in the private market and face some of the most acute financial pressures in the current economic climate.
The 2024 adjustments include meaningful increases to maximum Rent Assistance rates, though advocates note these still lag behind actual rental market inflation in many areas.
For single pensioners, the maximum Rent Assistance has increased to $157.20 per fortnight, while couples now qualify for up to $148.00 per fortnight.
These payments are subject to minimum rent thresholds and reduce proportionally for those paying less than the maximum qualifying rent amounts.
“Rent Assistance represents perhaps the most critical supplement for many pensioners, particularly in urban areas where rental costs have skyrocketed,” notes housing policy specialist Dr. Michael Rahman.
“While the increases are welcome, they still fall significantly short of addressing the real rental inflation experienced in major cities. In Sydney and Melbourne, median rents for even basic accommodations have increased at approximately twice the rate of the Rent Assistance adjustments.”
To qualify for maximum Rent Assistance in 2024, single pensioners must pay at least $348.87 per fortnight in rent, while couples need to pay at least $336.73.
Those paying less than these thresholds but more than the minimum qualifying amounts receive proportionally reduced payments.
“The gap between maximum Rent Assistance and actual market rents creates severe housing stress for many pensioners,” Thompson explains from her financial counseling experience.
“I work with clients who are paying well over 50% of their total income on rent even after Rent Assistance is applied. This leaves inadequate funds for other essentials like food, medicine, and utilities, forcing impossible choices between basic needs.”
Importantly, Rent Assistance is not available to pensioners who own their homes or who live in public housing where rents are already subsidized.
This creates significant disparities in total support between homeowning pensioners, public housing tenants, and private renters that can amount to thousands of dollars annually in different effective support levels.
Income and Assets Test Thresholds: Critical Changes
Perhaps the most technically complex but financially significant aspects of the 2024 pension adjustments are the changes to income and assets test thresholds that determine whether individuals receive full or partial pension payments.
These thresholds have been increased to reflect inflation, preserving the relative positioning of pension qualification boundaries.
For the income test, single pensioners can now earn up to $196 per fortnight before their pension begins to reduce, while couples can jointly earn up to $348 per fortnight.
Above these thresholds, pension payments reduce by 50 cents for each dollar of additional income until reaching zero at upper thresholds that vary based on individual circumstances.
“The income test threshold adjustments are particularly important for pensioners who supplement their payments with part-time work or modest investment income,” notes financial adviser Rebecca Li.
“Without these threshold increases, inflation would effectively push more pensioners into reduced payment territory each year even if their real income remained constant. The 2024 adjustments help prevent this ‘bracket creep’ effect.”
The assets test thresholds have similarly increased, with homeowner singles now able to hold assets up to $301,750 before pension reductions begin, while homeowner couples can have combined assets up to $451,500.
Non-homeowners have higher thresholds – $549,250 for singles and $699,000 for couples – acknowledging their need to fund housing costs from their asset base.
“The distinction between homeowner and non-homeowner thresholds represents an important recognition that having capital tied up in a non-income-producing family home is fundamentally different from having accessible financial assets,” explains Wilson.
“However, the gap between these thresholds has been criticized as insufficient to truly account for the housing cost differences, particularly in high-cost markets like Sydney where modest homes can easily exceed $1 million in value.”
Above these thresholds, pension payments reduce by $3 per fortnight for each $1,000 of additional assets until reaching zero at upper cut-off points.
These upper thresholds have also increased, with a single homeowner now able to hold assets up to $635,750 before losing pension eligibility entirely, while a homeowner couple can have up to $956,500 in combined assets.
“The assets test often creates complex decision-making challenges for retirees,” notes Li.
“Many clients find themselves in situations where reducing assets through legitimate spending on home improvements, travel, or gifts to family could actually increase their pension entitlement by more than the investment return they’re earning on those assets. The 2024 threshold increases slightly reduce this pressure but don’t eliminate the fundamental tension.”
Work Bonus Enhancement: Encouraging Participation
The Work Bonus program, which allows pensioners to earn employment income with reduced impact on their pension payments, has received significant enhancements in the 2024 adjustments.
These changes aim to encourage workforce participation among capable pensioners while addressing labor shortages in various sectors.
Under the updated program, pensioners can now earn up to $300 per fortnight from employment before it affects their pension payment – an amount that comes on top of the standard income test threshold.
Additionally, unused portions of this $300 allowance accumulate in a “Work Bonus bank” up to a maximum of $7,800, which can offset higher earnings during periods of more intensive work.
“The Work Bonus improvements represent one of the most progressive elements of the 2024 pension changes,” observes workforce participation researcher Dr. Jennifer Taylor.
“These enhancements acknowledge both the financial benefits that moderate employment can bring to pensioners and the valuable contributions older Australians and people with disabilities can make to the workforce when barriers to participation are reduced.”
The enhanced Work Bonus applies equally to Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients, though disability advocates note that practical barriers to employment often limit the program’s usefulness for many DSP recipients without additional workplace accommodations and support programs.
“While the Work Bonus improvements are theoretically available to all pensioners, the reality is that many disability pension recipients face significant additional barriers to employment that aren’t addressed by financial incentives alone,” explains Chen.
“Without complementary investments in accessible workplaces, flexible work arrangements, and employer education, many DSP recipients will be unable to benefit from these enhancements despite having valuable skills and a desire to participate.”
For those able to utilize it, the Work Bonus can substantially improve total income by allowing continued pension access even with moderate employment.
The accumulated bank feature is particularly valuable for those who work seasonally or irregularly, allowing them to temporarily exceed the fortnightly threshold without immediate pension reductions.
Payment Dates and Scheduling for 2024
Understanding when these enhanced payments will arrive is crucial for effective budgeting.
Services Australia has released the complete payment schedule for 2024, confirming that the standard fortnightly payment cycle will continue with some adjustments around public holidays and administrative processing requirements.
For Age Pension recipients, payment dates generally fall on alternating Thursdays, though individual payment dates may vary based on when the pension was initially granted and other administrative factors.
The 2024 schedule includes some adjustments around major holidays, with certain payments arriving slightly earlier to account for banking system closures.
“The consistent payment scheduling is critically important for pensioners who operate on very tight budgets,” notes Thompson from her financial counseling experience.
“Many of my clients plan essential purchases and bill payments precisely around their pension dates, often with minimal financial buffer. Even a one-day delay can create significant stress and potential payment defaults, so understanding the exact schedule is essential for effective financial management.”
Disability Support Pension payments follow the same general schedule as Age Pension payments, with recipients typically receiving their payments on the same days.
However, individual circumstances can create variations, and recipients are encouraged to check their personal payment schedule through their myGov account or the Centrelink app.
“One aspect that sometimes creates confusion is the difference between payment processing dates and actual bank availability,” explains Thompson.
“While Services Australia processes payments on the scheduled dates, actual availability in recipients’ accounts can vary by 1-2 days depending on their financial institution’s processing times. Most major banks make funds available overnight, but some smaller institutions may take longer.”
For recipients who receive both their base pension and supplements as a combined payment, the increased amounts will be reflected automatically in their regular deposits.
Those who have opted to receive certain supplements quarterly rather than fortnightly should consult their personalized payment schedule for specific quarterly payment dates.
Accessing and Maximizing the New Rates
With the significant changes implemented in 2024, many pension recipients may benefit from reviewing their circumstances and ensuring they’re receiving their full entitlements under the updated rates and thresholds.
Several strategies can help maximize benefits under the new framework.
First, all current recipients will automatically receive the increased base rates and standard supplements without needing to take any action.
The adjustments are applied systematically through the Services Australia payment system, with no requirement for individual applications or requests.
“The automatic nature of the standard increases is an important administrative efficiency,” notes Wilson.
“However, it also means some recipients may not realize they’ve become eligible for additional supplements or higher payment rates due to the threshold changes unless they proactively review their circumstances.”
For those whose financial circumstances have changed, the increased income and assets thresholds may create new eligibility for those previously just above the qualifying limits.
Even those who were assessed as ineligible relatively recently may benefit from reapplying under the new thresholds if their income or assets haven’t substantially increased in the interim.
“I strongly encourage anyone who was previously just above the qualification thresholds to reconsider their eligibility,” advises Thompson.
“The combined effect of increased thresholds plus any changes in personal circumstances – such as reduced investment values or income – may have brought them within the qualifying range. Even partial pension eligibility can provide valuable additional benefits beyond the payment itself, including concession cards and associated discounts.”
Recipients who receive reduced pensions due to income or assets should review whether the increased thresholds might allow them to receive higher payments under the new limits.
This is particularly relevant for those with income or assets just above the previous thresholds who may now qualify for higher payment rates.
Additional Support and Concessions
Beyond the direct payment increases, pension recipients benefit from various concession cards and supplementary support programs that provide significant additional economic value.
These associated benefits remain largely unchanged in structure for 2024, though their real-world value continues to evolve with market conditions.
All Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients automatically receive the Pensioner Concession Card, which provides access to reduced-cost medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bulk-billed doctor visits (where available), and various state and local government concessions.
“The value of the concession card often equals or exceeds the pension increases themselves for many recipients,” observes Chen.
“Reduced-cost medications, energy and water discounts, reduced council rates, and transportation concessions can collectively save thousands of dollars annually, particularly for those with chronic health conditions requiring multiple prescriptions.”
State-based concessions linked to pension status vary significantly across jurisdictions but typically include:
- Reduced vehicle registration and driver’s license fees
- Energy bill rebates or percentage discounts
- Water and sewerage charge reductions
- Public transport concessions or free travel during certain periods
- Reduced council rates and waste collection charges
“The patchwork of state and local concessions creates significant geographic variations in the total effective value of pension support,” notes Wilson.
“Two pensioners receiving identical federal payments but living in different states might experience thousands of dollars difference in their effective overall support when state-based concessions are factored in. This creates some inequities in the system that aren’t immediately apparent from examining just the federal payment rates.”
Many disability pension recipients also qualify for additional support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), though this operates as a separate system with its own qualification criteria and assessment processes.
The interaction between DSP payments and NDIS support creates a more comprehensive but also more complex support framework for many Australians with disabilities.
Impact on Different Household Types
The 2024 pension changes will affect different household types in varying ways depending on their specific circumstances, housing situations, and additional income sources.
Understanding these differentiated impacts helps contextualize what the increases mean in practical terms for diverse recipient groups.
For single full-rate pensioners who rent privately, the combined effect of the base rate increase, supplement adjustments, and enhanced Rent Assistance represents one of the most substantial improvements.
This group, often among the most financially vulnerable, will see total potential support increase by up to $50 per fortnight depending on their specific rental costs.
“Single renters typically experience the most acute financial pressure of any pensioner demographic,” explains Rahman.
“They must cover the full costs of housing and utilities from a single payment without the economies of scale that benefit couple households. For this group, the combined increases – while still insufficient to fully address housing affordability challenges – deliver meaningful additional support.”
Homeowner couples with part-pensions due to modest additional income face a more complex impact assessment.
While they benefit from the increased payment rates and higher income thresholds, the percentage of their total income derived from the pension may be relatively smaller, making the net effect less transformative for their overall financial position.
“For couples with combined private income around $800-1,000 per fortnight, the threshold and rate changes might increase their pension by $20-30 per fortnight,” estimates Li.
“This represents a helpful adjustment but not a transformative change to their standard of living. However, the retained access to the concession card and associated benefits often holds greater practical value than the cash increase itself.”
Disability Support Pension recipients under 21 without dependents receive age-based rates that are lower than the adult DSP rate until they reach 21.
These youth rates have also increased proportionally, though advocates continue to question the appropriateness of reduced rates for younger recipients whose disability-related costs are not necessarily lower than those of older individuals.
“The continued age-differentiation in DSP rates remains problematic from an equity perspective,” argues Chen.
“A 19-year-old with significant disability faces the same or sometimes greater costs than an older person with identical disability, yet receives substantially lower support. The 2024 increases maintain rather than address this structural issue within the system.”
Advocacy Perspectives and Remaining Challenges
While the 2024 pension increases provide welcome relief, advocacy organizations have highlighted several persistent challenges and structural issues within the pension system that remain unaddressed by the current adjustments.
“These increases represent necessary maintenance of purchasing power rather than genuine advancement in living standards,” notes Ian Harper, spokesperson for the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).
“When measured against appropriate community living standards rather than just inflation, pension rates remain insufficient to provide a dignified quality of life, particularly for those without significant additional resources or who face higher costs due to disability or geographical location.”
Housing affordability remains perhaps the most significant unresolved challenge, with Rent Assistance increases failing to close the growing gap between support levels and actual market rents in most Australian cities.
This creates severe housing stress for many pensioners and often forces relocation to areas with reduced services and support networks.
“The fundamental inadequacy of Rent Assistance relative to actual rental costs represents the most acute failure in the current support framework,” argues Rahman.
“In most capital cities, maximum Rent Assistance covers less than 25% of median rental costs for even modest accommodations. This structural misalignment forces impossible budgeting choices and creates severe housing insecurity for many older Australians and people with disabilities.”
The static nature of the Energy Supplement despite rapidly rising energy costs represents another area of concern, particularly as Australia navigates an energy market transition that has created significant price volatility in recent years.
With electricity and gas constituting essential expenditures for health and wellbeing, the erosion of real support in this area creates particular hardship.
“Energy is not a discretionary expense for pensioners, particularly those with health conditions requiring heating or cooling for medical reasons,” emphasizes Thompson.
“The failure to index the Energy Supplement to actual energy price movements represents a significant policy oversight that has eroded real support levels despite the headline pension increases.”
For disability advocates, the continued challenges around workforce participation and the interaction between employment and pension reductions remains problematic despite the Work Bonus enhancements.
Many argue for more fundamental reform that would better accommodate the often variable and partial work capacity of many people with disabilities.
“The current system still fundamentally operates on an outdated binary conception of disability and work capacity,” argues Chen.
“Many people with disabilities can and want to work, but in patterns and arrangements that don’t align well with conventional employment models. Despite the Work Bonus improvements, we need more fundamental reform that better supports flexible, partial, and intermittent workforce participation without threatening basic income security.”
International Comparisons and Policy Context
Australia’s pension adjustments for 2024 occur within a broader international context of nations grappling with aging populations, changing workforce participation patterns, and evolving approaches to disability support.
Comparative analysis provides useful perspective on Australia’s relative positioning and potential alternative approaches.
The Australian Age Pension system differs significantly from many international counterparts in its means-tested universal approach rather than the contribution-based systems common in many European and North American jurisdictions.
This creates both strengths and challenges in providing adequate support while maintaining fiscal sustainability.
“Australia’s means-tested approach delivers relatively targeted support compared to universal contribution-based systems,” observes Wilson.
“For those receiving full pension rates, Australia’s replacement rate – the percentage of previous earnings replaced by pension income – compares reasonably favorably to international benchmarks. However, the sharp reductions through means testing create relatively harsh transition zones compared to many European systems with more gradual tapering.”
For disability support, international approaches demonstrate greater integration between income support and employment participation in many leading systems.
Countries like Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have implemented more sophisticated partial capacity models that better accommodate variable and evolving work capabilities.
“The international trend is clearly toward more nuanced disability support models that don’t create sharp distinctions between ‘able to work’ and ‘unable to work’ categories,” notes Chen.
“Australia’s relatively binary system, despite some recent improvements, lags behind best practice in supporting the large proportion of people with disabilities who have partial, variable, or developing work capacity that could be better utilized with appropriate support structures.”
Housing support approaches also vary significantly internationally, with many European nations providing more substantial and directly targeted housing assistance, often through larger social housing sectors and stronger rental market regulation rather than relying primarily on cash supplements to address affordability.
“Australia’s heavy reliance on Rent Assistance as the primary housing affordability mechanism for pensioners contrasts with the more diverse approaches seen internationally,” explains Rahman.
“Countries like Austria, the Netherlands, and Finland combine more generous direct rental subsidies with significantly larger social housing sectors and stronger tenant protections to create more comprehensive housing security for vulnerable citizens, including pensioners and people with disabilities.”
Future Outlook and Policy Directions
As Australia continues navigating changing demographic patterns, economic challenges, and evolving social expectations, several potential policy directions may shape future pension adjustments beyond the 2024 changes.
The aging population and increasing longevity continue to create fiscal pressures on the pension system, with the ratio of working-age taxpayers to pension recipients steadily declining.
This demographic reality creates ongoing tension between maintaining adequate support levels and ensuring sustainable funding mechanisms.
“The fundamental demographic equation is challenging but not insurmountable with appropriate policy responses,” suggests Wilson.
“Increasing workforce participation among older Australians capable of continuing work, better supporting people with disabilities to contribute economically where possible, and ensuring efficient targeting of support to those most in need all represent necessary components of a sustainable long-term approach.”
For disability support specifically, growing recognition of the economic and social benefits of improved inclusion may drive further policy evolution toward more sophisticated approaches to combining income support with employment participation.
“The business case for disability inclusion continues to strengthen as labor markets evolve and skills shortages persist in many sectors,” notes Chen.
“Future policy directions will likely need to better reconcile the legitimate income security needs of people with disabilities with more effective pathways to economic participation that benefit both individuals and the broader economy.”
Housing affordability seems likely to remain a critical challenge requiring more comprehensive approaches than simply increasing Rent Assistance, with potential future directions including expanded social housing investment, innovative shared equity models, and more sophisticated approaches to matching housing stock with changing demographic needs.
“The structural mismatch between housing costs and pension support levels can’t be sustainably addressed through payment increases alone,” argues Rahman.
“Future policy will likely need to combine more adequate direct support with supply-side interventions and innovative tenure models that create genuine housing security for pensioners without unsustainable fiscal costs.”
For current pension recipients, the immediate focus remains maximizing benefits under the 2024 adjustments while preparing for the ongoing economic challenges that shaped the need for these increases.
Financial counselors and advocacy organizations encourage all recipients to regularly review their entitlements, ensure they’re receiving all appropriate supplements, and utilize available concessions to stretch limited budgets further.
“These increases provide welcome relief but not complete solutions to the financial challenges many pensioners face,” concludes Thompson.
“The most successful recipients combine maximizing their entitlements with strategic budgeting, proactive use of concessions, and engaging with community support services when needed. The 2024 adjustments provide additional resources, but managing those effectively remains essential for financial wellbeing.”
As Australia continues evolving its approaches to supporting older citizens and people with disabilities, the 2024 pension adjustments represent an important but incremental step in addressing the complex needs of these diverse communities.