Hands up if you know exactly what government benefits, concessions and rebates are available to you as an older Australian?
There’s a plethora of government rebates available to pensioners at both federal and state level, but unless you know what you’re looking for, and where to look, they’re very easy to miss. And that’s money that, by rights, should be yours.
Last year, for example, the Energy Charter released research that showed 60 per cent of eligible Aussies weren’t claiming the energy rebates they were entitled to, and a large number of these people were over-65s.
That’s a staggering amount, especially when rebates can often total several hundred dollars.
But given that each state has a different approach to energy rebates and much of that information is buried on government sites and requires strong Google skills to hunt down, it’s no wonder many of us miss out on claiming money we’re entitled to.
The YourLifeChoices download-and-keep rebates guide
Enter the YourLifeChoices Ultimate Guide to Seniors Rebates in Australia.
Earlier this year, in one of our editorial meetings, somebody asked why there wasn’t a simple place where all of the rebates were collated together in one place.
It’s one of those moments where we looked at ourselves and went, “Yeah, we need to do that.”
And now we have. In an easy-to-follow ebook.
Simply click here to request your copy.
What to expect in your seniors rebate guide
We had our team scour government websites. Inside you’ll find:
- Australia-wide benefits offered by the federal government, from tax offsets to seniors cards.
- NSW benefits, such as low income household rebates, seniors energy rebates, water rebates, and pensioner travel vouchers.
- Victorian benefits, such as the winter gas concession, public transport concessions and vouchers for seniors, and the no-interest loan scheme (NILS) for vehicles.
- Queensland benefits, including boat registration, Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS) and electricity and gas rebates.
- Western Australian benefits, such as the state government’s cost-of-living rebate, spectacles subsidy scheme, and free pensioner travel across the state.
- South Australia benefits, such as the state’s cost-of-living concession, GlassesSA, and medical heating and cooling concessions.
- Tasmanian benefits, such as the state’s heating allowance, the downsizing duty concession, and motor tax rebate.
- ACT benefits, including the Delay Your Rates scheme, flexible bus service, and discounts on car rego.
- Northern Territory benefits, including the Seniors Recognition Scheme prepaid cards, glasses concessions and transport subsidies.
We hope you find the guide useful and that it helps you claim back all the money you’re entitled to.
What other tips and savings for seniors have you found? What’s the best thing about a seniors card? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Explained: the difference between Centrelink concession cards
