Pensioner Rate Assistance Scheme
Ratepayers will be eligible for a concession where:
- the Concession Card is or was a valid card during the financial year
- the ratepayer is liable for the account, ie. the account is in the name of the person paying the bill and seeking the concessions
- the card and the account are in the same name, and
- the card and the account represent the same address
The following cards are valid:
- Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) issued by Centrelink or Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) or
- DVA Gold Repatriation Health Card - Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) or
- DVA Gold Repatriation Health Card - War Widow (WW)
If you hold one of these cards there are two ways to obtain your concession:
- you may attend our offices in person and we will assist you to complete an Application form and have your Pension Card sighted, or
- you may ask us to send you an application form to complete and return to our office together with a photocopy of your Pension Card.
Council’s Financial Hardship Assistance
Council’s Financial Hardship Assistance Policy helps ratepayers who were adversely affected by the introduction of CIV rating. This allows a property owner to apply for a waiver of up to 75 per cent of the net increase in rate liability since 2002/03, after deduction of the year-to-year Council-determined increase in the rate level. This is subject to a minimum levied rate amount of $300 per annum.
Waivers will be considered on the general rate. To be eligible, applicants must show that they do not have assets or an income base that would reasonably enable them to meet full general rate costs in the current year.
Applications for the waiver must be made in writing using an application form. All details provided on the form are protected under Council’s Information Privacy Policy and will be used only for the express purpose of determining eligibility for the waiver. Waivers will be granted at the discretion of Council.
Further information and the application form are available by contacting Revenue Services on 1300 88 22 33.
Financial advice
MoneyHelp is a non-profit service funded by the Victorian Government providing free, confidential and independent financial advice to Victorians facing or experiencing mortgage or rental stress or job loss or reduced working hours to help them manage their money and debt.
Visit www.moneyhelp.org.au or call the advice line on 1800 149 689, Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm.
