With a free Australia Post Concession account, you'll pay just 60c per stamp, instead of $1.50. You can buy up to 50 stamps per year, in booklets of 5 for $3.
You'll even get a free booklet of 5 concession stamps to get you started.
Are you eligible?
The following Australian Federal Government concession cards are accepted as proof of eligibility for an Australia Post Concession account.
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card (all types)
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Department of Veterans' Affairs Card
- Veterans' Repatriation Health Card
How to apply
Take your completed application form (also available in-store) to a Post Office, along with your valid Federal Government concession card.
Once approved, you'll receive your Australia Post Concession Account card in the mail within 14 days, along with your free booklet of 5 stamps.
Show your card at any Post Office to buy more concession stamps. You can buy up to 50 stamps per year, in booklets of 5.
In June 2024, an additional one-off payment was paid automatically to all recipients of the 2023-24 Cost of Living Concession (COLC).
Check your bank account or bank statement for the month of June for a payment of $243.90 with the description Concessions COLC
You won't have received the one-off payment if you never received the COLC before, but you'll receive the 2024-25 COLC later this year if you were eligible on 1 July 2024 and have applied.
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As of July 1st 2024:
Level up the Cost of Living Concession - Double rate for tenants and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) holders to align with homeowners ($255.60).
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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).
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.
Eligibility
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 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 2024-25 financial year, your income from all sources must not be more than the income limits shown below.
Single - Fortnightly income $912.70 before tax, Annual income $23,730.20 before tax
Single with children - Fortnightly income $966.90 before tax, Annual income $25139.40 before tax
Partnered - Fortnightly income $1696.60 before tax, Annual income $44,111.60 before tax
To apply 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).
You can apply here or download the application form.
South Australian residents may be eligible to receive a remission of up to $46 per year on the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) (fixed property) for their principal place of residence.
Check your last Emergency Services Levy assessment or SA Water bill before applying.
You might already be receiving the ESL (fixed property) remission if you are a pensioner and receive a concession on your water rates.
Residential park residents are not eligible for an ESL (fixed property) remission, as this charge is not normally passed on by residential park operators.
To be eligible, you must:
- live at the property on 1 July of the year the levy notice is issued
- be a registered owner of the property, or be the holder of a life estate, on 1 July of the year the levy notice is issued
- hold an eligible card or receive an eligible Centrelink payment between the levy notice issue and due dates.
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
- 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.
To apply you'll need:
- your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or Department of Veterans' Affairs file number
- your ownership number from your most recent Notice of Emergency Services Levy Assessment (homeowners only).
- a copy of the will granting you life estate (life estate holders only).
You can apply here or download the application form.
Help to pay your electricity bill at your principal place of residence is available to eligible South Australians on low or fixed incomes.
The amount paid is up to $274.85 a year.
The concession is calculated as a flat rate per day and is indexed each financial year. It covers energy payments, including fuels used to generate energy (eg. LPG bottled gas and petrol).
People living in a residential park can apply for a combined concession for energy, water and sewerage - Residential Park Concessions
Who can apply
You must:
- live at the property
- have an energy account in your name and be listed first on your energy bill
- hold an eligible concession card or receive an eligible Centrelink payment
- not be living with anyone who has an income of more than $3,000 per year, unless they either:
- receive a payment from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
- are your spouse, domestic partner or dependent.
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
- 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.
To apply you'll need:
- your Customer Reference Number (CRN) or file number from your Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs card.
- information from your most recent electricity bill, including:
- retailer name
- account number
- National Metering Identifier (NMI) number
- billing dates.
You can apply here or download the application form.
As of July 1st 2024:
Increased access to Funeral AssistanceSA - Increase the means test of permitted accessible funds from $3,000 to $4,000.
Funeral AssistanceSA helps people who have experienced the death of a South Australian family member or friend to cover the costs of a funeral.
The funeral provided is normally a cremation service, except in certain cultural and religious circumstances.
Make sure you have notified Centrelink about the death. You might need to provide proof.
Who can apply
The income, assets and liabilities of the deceased and their immediate relatives - spouse, parents, and adult children - are taken into account when assessing eligibility for assistance.
To be eligible, you must prove that the deceased:
- was a South Australian resident at the time of death
- received a pension or benefit, or had a low income
- has an estate and death benefits estimated at less than $4,000 when liquidated – including their house, personal property and shares
- has immediate relatives who:
- receive a pension or benefit, or have a low income
- do not have enough money to cover funeral expenses - less than $4,000 of accessible funds
- are not homeowners, or cannot borrow against equity in their home to pay for the funeral.
You must have exhausted all other options to raise funds or obtain credit.
The funeral must not have been already arranged or, where a grant is sought after the event, the account must be modest and not yet fully paid.
What you'll need
You'll need:
- current bank statements showing one month of transactions, from the deceased and all immediate relatives. If you do not have access to a bank statement for the deceased, you must provide their banking details.
- a copy of the deceased’s will, if there is one
- if the family is estranged, a statutory declaration to explain the circumstances.
What is covered
Funeral AssistanceSA offers two types of assistance.
Full contract funeral
This type of assistance is available if you have not contracted a private funeral director.
It provides a basic, dignified funeral, which includes:
- a weekday cremation service at a church or chapel approved by Funeral AssistanceSA, or a direct cremation if preferred
- a weekday burial (where culturally or religiously required)
- funeral director's fee
- crematorium fees
- cemetery fees
- a basic coffin
- hearse
- religious minister or celebrant's fee
- fees and charges for all legally required permits - not death certificate.
The deceased’s family or friends may pay for additional extras - eg flowers or a memorial book.
After-the-event assistance
A grant of up to $625 paid directly to the funeral director.
This type of assistance is available if you have already contracted a private funeral director and there is an existing debt. The funeral cost must be modest and you must have attempted to pay the debt.
If the funeral account has been paid in full, no assistance can be provided.
Other coverage for expenses
Funeral costs could already be covered another way, depending on the circumstances of the death.
If the deceased:
- died in a motor vehicle accident, funeral expenses may be covered by Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance.
- Visit the CTP Insurance Regulator website or phone 1300 303 558 for more information.
- was a victim of crime you can claim for funeral costs and a grief payment from the Commissioner for Victims' Rights.
- Visit the Commissioner for Victims' Rights website or phone 7322 7007 for more information.
- has superannuation or a life insurance policy, the beneficiary may be required to repay the costs of the funeral.
You can apply here or download the application form.
GlassesSA helps South Australians obtain low-cost glasses or, for those with serious eye conditions, no-cost contact lenses.
Show your eligible Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) card to a participating optometrist.
You can find a list of participating optometrists here.
The optometrist will offer you a selection of basic frames and standard single vision, single vision grind, bi-focal, or multi-focal lenses to choose from.
Only optometrists authorised by GlassesSA,or their staff, can provide glasses and contact lenses through the program.
What is covered
Glasses
You can get one new pair of glasses every three years, or when clinically necessary, if you're eligible.
The maximum you'll pay for a complete pair of standard glasses (basic frames and standard lenses) is:
- glasses with single vision lenses - $25
- glasses with single vision grind lenses - $30
- glasses with bi-focal lenses - $50
- glasses with multi-focal lenses - $100.
GlassesSA will meet the co-payment for Aboriginal customers for standard glasses.
Thinner lenses (prescription requirements apply)
GlassesSA will meet $50 in additional costs for thinner lenses in basic frames. Any further cost will be at the customer’s expense. Costs may vary according to lens type, and between participating optometrists.
Optional frame and lens upgrades
Treatments, services or upgrades - eg anti-reflective lens coating, lens tinting, or higher cost frames
You can choose to pay extra for treatments, services or upgrades to the basic frames and lenses (eg anti-reflective lens coating, lens tinting, or higher cost frames). Availability and prices may vary between participating optometrists.
Children’s frame upgrades
GlassesSA will meet $50 in additional costs for children's (aged under 18 years at the time of approval) frames outside the standard range. Any further cost will be at the customer’s expense. Available frames and prices may vary between participating optometrists.
Use of your own frames
You can use your own frames and receive only lenses through GlassesSA. The GlassesSA contribution remains as per the fee schedule for the relevant prescribed item. Any other costs will be at the customer’s expense.
Contact lenses
Your contact lenses will be at no cost to you if you're prescribed them through GlassesSA.
You can get new contact lenses as often as they are certified as being clinically necessary by the optometrist, for one of the prescribed eye conditions.
Optometrists cannot offer to upgrade you to more expensive contact lenses, and the benefit under GlassesSA cannot be used as a discount against other contact lenses, products or services.
Eligibility for glasses
To be eligible you must:
- live in South Australia
and either:
- receive one of the following maximum rate Centrelink payments:
- Aged Pension
- Disability Support Pension
- JobSeeker Payment
- Parenting Payment (single or partnered)
- Carer Payment
- receive a maximum rate DVA pension
- be under the age of 18 years and are the dependant of a person receiving an eligible payment.
Thinner lenses
To be eligible you must:
- meet eligibility criteria for standard glasses
- have a lens prescription level of +5.00 or -5.00 with up to -2.50 cylinder, but with a combined power of +/-5.00.
People not eligible for glasses
You are not eligible if you:
- receive Centrelink Carer Allowance
- are a DVA pensioners eligible for DVA optical services
- hold a DVA Gold Card.
Eligibility for contact lenses
To be eligible you must:
- live in South Australia
- hold one of these cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card (HCC) or be a person who is listed on an HCC as a qualified dependant
- have been diagnosed with one of the following prescribed medical conditions:
- unilateral or bilateral aphakia
- keratoconus, post corneal graft and corneal trauma
- corneal pathology requiring therapeutic soft lens
- corneal pathology causing irregular astigmatism
- aniridia and iris coloboma
- ametropia (myopia or hypermetropia) of +/- 6 dioptres or more
- anisometropia of 4 dioptres or more
- requiring disposable lenses for use as bandage lenses or in such cases only where the use of conventional lenses may not be appropriate
- other pathology that an optometrist or ophthalmologist certifies necessitates the prescription of contact lenses.
- have contact lenses that have been prescribed by:
- Flinders Medical Centre
- the Women's and Children's Hospital
- the Royal Adelaide Hospital
- a country optometrist (an optometrist whose business address has a postcode greater than 5200 - your residential address must also have a postcode greater than 5200).
An electricity concession is available for eligible people with kidney disease who receive dialysis treatment at home.
People receiving at home dialysis treatment can receive $274.85 annually to contribute to the running cost of their equipment at home.
Any person undergoing dialysis treatment at home is eligible provided that the concession has been approved by a SA Health Practitioner.
The electricity concession complements existing concessions administered by the Government of South Australia and the Australian Government for the use of medical equipment at home.
How to apply
Applications for the electricity concession can be made through the renal unit where you receive treatment.
To apply for the concession you will need to fill out a Home Dialysis Concession Claim Form available from your renal unit.
The claim form will need to be completed by you and your SA Health Practitioner and returned to your renal unit for processing.
For further information, please speak to your SA Health Practitioner or refer to theHome Dialysis Electricity Concession brochure.
Benefits of home dialysis
If you currently have dialysis treatment in public hospital or dialysis centre, home dialysis is an alternative treatment option that can provide you with more independence and flexibility.
You will no longer have to plan activities around pre-determined appointments and can receive treatment in the comfort of your own home.
If you are a pensioner or hold a health care card, and are receiving State funded oxygen therapy, you are eligible to receive a 50 per cent rebate on the electricity used by your concentrator. Please tell your respiratory nurse/community nurse your pensioner health care card number.
If you have a self-funded portable oxygen concentrator machine you are not eligible for an electricity rebate.
The amount of electricity rebate is determined using the AGL tariffs regardless if your electricity supplier.
Depending on the hospital or health service funding your equipment, your electricity rebate:
- Will automatically be sent to you every three months following the service of your concentrator. Alternatively you can arrange a direct transfer into your account via your oxygen supplier.
or
- Will be sent to you upon receipt of your completed reimbursement form with an attached copy of you electricity bill.
or
- If you are an entitled veteran please contact the Department of Veterans' Affairs on 1800 555 254 to obtain the necessary application form to apply for your rebate.
Your respiratory nurse/community nurse will advise you of the process applicable to your rebate.
Please note: this does not mean you will receive a 50 per cent rebate on your entire electricity bill - the electricity rebate only applies to the electricity usage of your oxygen concentrator.
Some private health insurers provide subsidies for oxygen equipment. Contact your private health insurance provider for more information.
The Medical Heating and Cooling Concession helps South Australians on a fixed or low income who have a clinically verified medical condition which requires the frequent use of heating or cooling in the home to prevent the severe worsening of their condition.
The current concession amount is $274.85 a year.
The concession is indexed each financial year and is available in addition to the energy concession.
How to apply
Check if you're eligible
- To be eligible you must:
- live at the address on the application form
- have, or be the parent or legal guardian of, a child who has a qualifying medical condition requiring cooling or heating to prevent severe worsening of their condition
- provide certification from your medical specialist or general practitioner that the medical condition is severely worsened by hot or cold weather
- use an air conditioning unit at that address to meet your medical heating and cooling requirements
- be financially responsible for the full or part payment of the energy bill
Hold or receive any of the following:
- 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
- Low Income Health Care Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- 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
Download the application form
- Download the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession - application form or phone 1300 735 350 and ask for a form to be sent to you.
Complete the form with your medical practitioner
- Complete and sign the application form with your medical practitioner.
Submit your application
- Scan and email the form to MHC@sa.gov.au
- Processing delays will apply to applications received by post.