A major change has been announced for pensioners travelling or moving overseas from September 20. The pension supplement, which is paid in addition to the pension and was designed to support Australians with utility, phone, internet and medicine costs, will be soon available to travelling recipients for six weeks longer. The current system reduces the pension supplement to its basic rate, both when recipients travel for more than six weeks, and when they move overseas permanently. Tens of thousands affectedThe base rate of the pension supplement for a single person is about $30 a fortnight, with the full supplement payment for a single person per fortnight being close to $86. “This ensures the Pension Supplement supports pensioners who are based in Australia and remains fair and sustainable,” the DSS said.