CANBERRA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- An Australian newspaper reported on Friday that there was a 50 percent increase in aged care pensions granted between October and December last year.

    The number of pensions granted rose from about 2,000 a week to 3,000. The financial crisis and the accompanying decline in the value of superannuation accounts and other assets are believed to be behind the increase, the Sydney Morning Herald said in a report.

    The increase in the number of people obtaining the aged pension puts extra pressure on the federal government to overhaul the scheme, Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop said on Friday.

    "It is a big problem for the government," Bishop told Sky News.

    She said the government had to sort out issues around eligibility and the amount of the single aged pension.

    A review into the pension is underway and the government has vowed to deal with the issue.

    The government gave 1,400 Aust dollars (980 U.S. dollars) to single pensioners and 2,100 dollars (1471 U.S. dollars) to pensioner couples in last December as part of its 10.4 billion dollars (7.28 billion U.S. dollars) package aimed at warding off a recession.