An additional one-off payment of $243.90 will be paid automatically to all recipients of the 2023-24 Cost of Living Concession (COLC).
You don't need to do anything unless your bank details have changed. Update your details using the online form below if this is the case.
If you haven't received the COLC before you won't receive the additional one-off payment, but you'll be assessed on 1 July for the next annual COLC for 2024-25 if you have applied.
On this page
The Cost of Living Concession (COLC) replaced the council rate concession and helps people on low or fixed incomes with their general living expenses - eg council rates, energy and medical bills.
You don't need to reapply if you received a COLC payment before and your living and income circumstances haven't changed.
This concession is paid between August and December each year by electronic funds transfer (EFT). Tenants are paid at the same time as other customers.
Apply or update your details
You must apply by 31 December to receive the COLC for that financial year.
Use the online form to apply for all household concessions, or to update your details - eg address, energy account, or bank details.
You'll need:
- your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or Department of Veterans' Affairs file number
- If you don't have one of these - a copy of your most recent tax assessment.
- information from your most recent electricity and water bills
- your ownership number from your most recent Notice of Emergency Services Levy Assessment (homeowners only).
Who can apply
The concession can only be paid to one person per household.
Assessment is based on your circumstances on 1 July of the relevant financial year.
You must:
- live at the property
- hold an eligible card, receive an eligible Centrelink payment, or meet low income provisions
- tenants must not be living with anyone who earns more than the low income provisions, unless they either:
- get an allowance from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
- are your spouse, domestic partner or dependant.
Eligible cards
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Veteran Gold Card:
- Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI)
- Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA)
- War Widow
- issued to a person with 80 or more overall impairment points under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (Cth)
- Low Income Health Care Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
Eligible Centrelink payments
- JobSeeker Payment
- Youth Allowance
- Parenting Payment
- Special Benefit
- Community Development Program (CDP)
- Self-Employment Allowance
- ABSTUDY
- Austudy
- Farm Household Allowance (FHA)
- War widow pension under legislation of the United Kingdom or New Zealand.
Low income provisions
For the 2023-24 financial year, your income from all sources must not be more than the income limits shown below.
| Status | Fortnightly income before tax | Annual income before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $843.10 | $21,920.60 |
| Single with children | $895.20 | $23,275.20 |
| Partnered | $1,562.40 | $40,662.40 |
What happens next
The concession is paid once a year directly into your bank account by electronic funds transfer (EFT).
Concession amount
$255.60 per eligible household for the 2024-25 financial year.
Tenants and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders (self-funded retirees) now receive the same amount as homeowners.
The concession amount is indexed each financial year.
Payments for the 2024-25 financial year
You will be assessed for the 2024-25 payment as at 1 July this year if you received the COLC in your name before or you recently applied.
Your payment will be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) if eligible. You must provide your banking details to receive the concession.
Use the online household concessions form if you need to update your bank details, or contact the ConcessionsSA Hotline.
All eligible applicants who apply by 1 July 2024 will receive their payment from August 2024.
How to identify your 2024-25 COLC payment
From August 2024, check your bank account for a payment of $255.60
You can also check your bank statement for the payment description Concessions COLC.
2023-24 additional one-off payment
All households that received the 2023-24 COLC will receive an additional one-off payment of $243.90.
Everyone - homeowners, tenants and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders - will receive the same amount if eligible.
You don't need to apply. Your additional payment will be paid automatically into your bank account by electronic funds transfer (EFT) by the end of June 2024 if you received last year's COLC.
In late June, check your bank account for a payment of $243.90 or check your bank statement for the payment description Concessions COLC
Use the online household concessions form if you need to update your bank details, or contact the ConcessionsSA Hotline.
This is separate and additional to the 2024-25 COLC. Your eligibility for the 2024-25 COLC will be assessed on 1 July 2024.
Contact
Email: concessions@sa.gov.au
Phone: ConcessionsSA Hotline (9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday) - 1800 307 758
Translations: to arrange an onsite or telephone interpreter, or to have a document translated, please call the Interpreting and Translating Centre (ITC) on 1800 280 203.
