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Mu wife and I have been self-employed, myself as an electrical contractor and together as importers and distributors.

We had no employer superannuation, therefore we decided many years ago to provide for ourselves and started accumulating parcels of shares.

When we eventually set up our SMSF we had to sell our parcels of shares into that Fund and, overall it cost us about $60,000+ in Capital Gains and personal Income Tax.

Following the GFC we had a huge drop in the value of our SMSF and I went onto a part-pension which has been most helpful for our day-to-day living costs.

My wife has just applied for the part-pension as she has just qualified age wise and this will also help.

My point is that it galls me that some complain that "richies" shouldn't get the pension. We are by no means rich as we have done without world trips, fancy cars, fancy clothes and high class restaurant meals for most of our lives in order to provide for our future.

If we had p---ed our money up against the wall and played the pokies and smoked, then we would be eligible for the full pension and all the discount benefits gained from it.

I'm not knocking the small amount of money we get now, but let's just keep it in perspective !!