Over 215,000 households eligible for financial support as minister urges everyone to apply

In the Land Down Under, where the sun scorches the earth, and the cost of living seems to rise like the mercury on a hot summer's day, there's a glimmer of hope for Australians grappling with their bills.

The state government supports eligible households with low or fixed incomes.

But time is ticking, and the end of the year is fast approaching, so it's crucial to act swiftly to claim this treasure chest of relief.


This advantage of the support available before the 31st of December 2024 deadline.

Over 215,000 households will be able to access these household concessions.


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Up to $1,100 in cost-of-living relief can be applied for by South Australian households on low or fixed incomes before the end of the year. Credit: Unsplash


The concessions range from payments for cost-of-living relief to energy, water, sewerage, medical heating and cooling, and the emergency services levy.

However, it's been reported that thousands of eligible households, potentially including older South Australians, families, single parents, or people with disabilities, have not yet applied for these concessions.

Human Services Minister Nat Cook has highlighted the struggle many low or fixed-income households face with the rising cost of living.


'We know about a quarter of households in South Australia already access the range of concessions including cost-of-living, water, energy and sewerage, but many more households would be eligible,' Cook said.

The government is offering these concessions and extending free public transport to all people with Centrelink Health Care Cards from 1 January 2025.

For families, the Sports Voucher program will provide two $100 grants in 2025 to help cover the cost of kids' extracurricular activities. Additionally, the materials and services charge subsidy will be doubled to $200 per child for government schools from 2025.

Eligibility for these concessions generally requires holding an eligible concession card, receiving an eligible Centrelink payment, or being low-income.

This can include the pensioner concession card, veteran gold card, low-income health care card, and commonwealth seniors health card.


Centrelink payments that may qualify include JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment, Special Benefit, and ABSTUDY.

Applying is straightforward–you can do it online or phone the Concessions SA hotline on 1800 307 758 to have an application posted.

Don't let this opportunity slip through your fingers; it's time to unlock the treasure chest of relief and ease the burden of those bills.

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Key Takeaways

  • South Australian households on low or fixed incomes can apply for up to $1,100 in cost-of-living relief before the end of the year.
  • Over 215,000 households are eligible for various concessions, including energy, water, and medical heating and cooling payments.
  • Human Services Minister Nat Cook emphasises that many more households might be eligible for these aids amidst rising living costs.
  • Eligibility for the concessions depends on holding an eligible concession card, receiving a Centrelink payment, or being on low income.
Have you or someone you know benefited from these concessions? What was the process like? Please share your stories in the comments below.
 
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Where and how do we do it online, I can't find anything on the Centrelink web page?
Just type in or ask Suri/Alexa for concessions for whichever state you are in.e.g. Pensioner concessions for (whichever state) and they will pop up.
They aren't Centrelink concessions, they're state government concessions and each state is different.
If you have any difficulty come back to me and I will look them up for you and post them.
 
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is this help only for south australia what about all of us here in sydney why do we miss out on this ester help from our centerlink we are all trying to manage to live our self .
 
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is this help only for south australia what about all of us here in sydney why do we miss out on this ester help from our centerlink we are all trying to manage to live our self .
Again, these are not Centrelink concessions they are State Govt concessions.
Google Pensioner Concessions for NSW to find out what concessions are available in NSW,
 
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These are State Government payments, nothing to do with Centrelink.
The only thing that relates to them is that you must be in receipt of a Centrelink payment to qualify.
Check YOUR State government concessions to see what they provide, you may be missing out.
Yes, nothing to do with Centrelink; people are already waiting so long on hold to speak to Centrelink and its misleading headlines like this that cause longer waits due to lines being clogged up with unnecessary enquiries that should be directed to State government depts. I think the writers of these headlines might cast a thought to the unintended consequences of click-baiting...'South Australian Concessions' would have been just as interesting🤬
 
Just type in or ask Suri/Alexa for concessions for whichever state you are in.e.g. Pensioner concessions for (whichever state) and they will pop up.
They aren't Centrelink concessions, they're state government concessions and each state is different.
If you have any difficulty come back to me and I will look them up for you and post them.
Thank you for that, but I don't have Suri/Alexa, I use a desktop computer not my phone, my big fat fingers are always making mistakes when I type on my phone 😂
 
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Just type in or ask Suri/Alexa for concessions for whichever state you are in.e.g. Pensioner concessions for (whichever state) and they will pop up.
They aren't Centrelink concessions, they're state government concessions and each state is different.
If you have any difficulty come back to me and I will look them up for you and post them.
I googled Concessions for S.A. and found them, thank you again.
 
Yes, nothing to do with Centrelink; people are already waiting so long on hold to speak to Centrelink and its misleading headlines like this that cause longer waits due to lines being clogged up with unnecessary enquiries that should be directed to State government depts. I think the writers of these headlines might cast a thought to the unintended consequences of click-baiting...'South Australian Concessions' would have been just as interesting🤬
I was on hold with Centrelink for 45 minutes yesterday because they cancelled my rent relief even though i'd sent them a copy of our new lease.
What sucked the most was the atrocious music they played, I would have thought many would have hung up after listening to that, lucky i'm level headed and could laugh about it 😂
 
I was on hold with Centrelink for 45 minutes yesterday because they cancelled my rent relief even though i'd sent them a copy of our new lease.
What sucked the most was the atrocious music they played, I would have thought many would have hung up after listening to that, lucky i'm level headed and could laugh about it 😂
I remember when they all to play Greensleeves, used to drive me up the bloody wall.
 
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What about Queenslanders. I's this for only SAs.
Queensland is the state to be in. My Origin energy bill was $0 for the last 2 quarters thanks to a $1k p.a. govt rebate. We also have virtually free travel on public transport. Actually 50cents on any trip on train, tram, ferry or bus. As a Qld senior I can go from Brisbane to Cairns on the train for $25 in airline style comfort for 25hrs.

If we didn't have a tsunami of Sydneysiders and Melburnians flooding and wrecking our housing market, it would be perfect. Just as Joh BP used to say.
 
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And NSW? Any relief for them? No. Too busy making Sydney the most expensive city in the world
 
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Queensland is the state to be in. My Origin energy bill was $0 for the last 2 quarters thanks to a $1k p.a. govt rebate. We also have virtually free travel on public transport. Actually 50cents on any trip on train, tram, ferry or bus. As a Qld senior I can go from Brisbane to Cairns on the train for $25 in airline style comfort for 25hrs.

If we didn't have a tsunami of Sydneysiders and Melburnians flooding and wrecking our housing market, it would be perfect. Just as Joh BP used to say.
Same thing here in WA. Eastern states investors flooding the market, pushing prices so high that young people, permanent residents, can't get a foothold.
It's hard to even be able to put an offer on a property as agents put houses up for "online auction" and properties are selling for ridiculous prices,far more than they are actually worth in bricks and mortar value.
When the next crash comes, and they always do, a lot of people are going to be in big trouble.
A soon as I read the headline I know it couldn't have anything to do with the woeful poxy bloody Victorian Labour Party. I think any future ten times removed will still be paying off the debts incurred by the megalomaniac Andrews. Without any current attempt by the current government seeming to not make any attempt to rein it in. Plus I was under the impression that Centrelink was a Federal Government Department?
Centrelink is a Federal Govt Dept, but these are not Centrelink concessions, they are State (SA) concessions.
 
I live in SA and have been receiving these concessions for years, it isn't anything new.
 
I hope that all Australian States get involved with this idea. I mean SA is not the only state where people are struggling.
 
I live in SA and have been receiving these concessions for years, it isn't anything new.
I don't think they said they were new, just that many people didn't seem to know they could apply.
I lived in SA about eight years ago and they had only one cost of living concession, but nothing like rates, water, rego
etc.
It was a shock to the system as I was used to the generous concessions here in WA.
 
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So many people seem to be unaware that there are even concessions available.
As I've stated before WA has very generous concessions, but most states have some concessions.
Just google Pensioner Concessions for whichever state you live in to see what you may be eligible to receive.
 

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