Council offers rebates and concessions for eligible pensioners who own and occupy a rateable property. 
 

About the Pension Rebate

Under NSW legislation, Council provides a rebate of up to a maximum of $250.00 per rating year to eligible pensioners at a cost of $1 million per year. This rebate is funded 45% by Council and 55% by the State government. The rebate amount is fixed and does not increase with inflation or rate increases. 

Pensioners who are granted a rebate with Council will have their Rates and Charges Notices automatically adjusted going forward, provided there has been no change to their eligibility.
 

Eligibility Criteria

Under State legislation, you must satisfy all of the following criteria to be an “eligible pensioner”.

• Hold a current pensioner concession card issued by either Centrelink or the Department of Veteran's Affairs. (Ratepayers can check with Centrelink or Veteran’s Affairs to see if they are entitled to a Pensioner Concession Card for the purposes of Council Rates and Charges concessions).
• You (solely or jointly) own the dwelling for which a rebate is sought.
• The property is your sole or principal residence.

Please contact us immediately if your eligibility changes. If your pensioner rebate eligibility changes during the rating year, your instalment amounts will be adjusted accordingly..
 

How to Apply

To apply, please:

• Complete and submit a Rates Pensioner Concession Rebate Application form,
• Include a copy of the front and back of your Pensioner Concession Card with your form.

How the Pension Rebate is Calculated

The rebate amount granted will be proportionate to the percentage of ownership and to the date from which the applicant became eligible.

Applicants who become an eligible pensioner during the financial year will receive a rebate proportionate to the number of full quarters in which the applicant became an eligible pensioner (Local Government Act 1993, Section 575). This is illustrated in the table below.

Date of Pensioner Concession Card	Rebate entitlement within financial year
Before 1 July of financial year	Full rebate
Before 1 October	75% rebate
Before 1 January	50% rebate
Before 1 April	25% rebate
Between 1 April and 30 June	No rebate

 

Backdating of Pension Rebates

Council will retrospectively grant rebates (backdate) only up to 12 months prior to the submission date of a pensioner application form, upon confirmation of eligibility during the backdated period.
 

Termination of Pension Rebate

When a person ceases to be an eligible pensioner, dies or sells the property, a proportion of the rebate granted for the financial year is written back as payable. This applies in the same manner as a granted rebate - the write back will equal the number of full quarters remaining in the year.
 

Other financial assistance offered by Council

Hardship Assistance

Council is committed to assisting customers who are experiencing adverse financial hardship, and offer payment arrangements such as interest free extensions and interest free payment plans to ease the burden. If you receive a rebate on your Council rates, you can still apply for assistance. Visit our Hardship assistance page for more information and to apply.

Additional Assistance for Pensioners

Council has adopted the following changes to the Debt Management and Hardship Policy to provide additional assistance to eligible pensioner ratepayers. The new assistance includes the option for eligible pensioners to: Pay their rates in monthly instalments at no additional cost. Defer payment of rates until the sale of their property without being charged penalty interest. Please contact Council for information on how to begin an application to receive this assistance.

Please visit our Rates frequently asked questions page.
 

I want to...

• Pay my rates
• Set up new or change existing direct debit to pay rates
• Change my postal address for rates notices
• Receive my Rates Notices online

  Switch from paper to electronic Rates Notices with two options to choose from below. Note that you should still keep your postal address details up to date to ensure you receive other Council correspondence or in cases of undeliverable email.
  
  So you don't miss a Rates Notice, it is your responsibility to notify Council of any changes to delivery method / address at least 50 days before instalment due dates.
  
  Option 1 - Receive Rates notices via email 
  Sign up to receive your Rates and Charges Notice direct to your email by completing Council's Email Notification of Rates Notice form.
  
  Option 2 - Receive Rates Notices through your online/mobile banking 
  Sign up to BPAY View through your own online banking website to receive, pay and store your Rates Notices. Benefits includes due date reminders and alerts and access to notices up to 18 months old. To sign up:

  1. Log into your online banking account
  2. Look for the BPAY View or View Bills section
  3. Register your Rates Notice by entering the BPAY biller code and your references
  4. BPAY View will notify Council once your registration is finalised.

  Visit BPAY View or contact your financial institution for more information.

• Receive my rates notices via BPAY View

  To receive your rates notices via BPAY View instead of via post, please apply through your financial institution.

• Update my name on my Rates and Charges Notice

  Council records reflect the name that is listed on the Certificate of Title for your land.

  If your change of name is due to sale, purchase, marriage or change of name certificate you will need to officially change your name on your land title first. Contact NSW Land Registry Services on telephone 02 8776 3575 or visit their website at https://www.nswlrs.com.au for further information.
  
  If you wish to change the name due to death, Council will update the title of the deceased individual to “Estate of the Late” after receiving a copy of the Death Certificate or advice from Centrelink during the Pension rebate confirmation process.

  Name details are only updated after we receive advice from the NSW Land Registry Services.