All 3G personal alert devices will stop working from 31 August 2024.
Make sure you upgrade to a 4G-compatible device before 31 August so you can continue to use your personal alert device in an emergency.
Call Personal AlertSA urgently on 1300 700 169, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm to get help to upgrade.
People can use a personal alert device to call for help if they are unable to use the phone in an emergency. Some newer devices can detect falls, keep working when you leave the house, and find your location in an emergency.
You can apply for help to pay for an approved device and for monitoring services.
To be eligible for the rebate you must:
- be aged 75 years or older (65 years or older if you are Aboriginal)
- have a Centrelink or DVA Pensioner Concession Card
- be a permanent resident of South Australia
- meet the additional clinical, functional and social criteria requirements
- have sought an assessment from My Aged Care for aged care services and been assessed as one of the following:
- approved for a Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
- approved for a level 1 Home Care Package (HCP)
- not eligible for an HCP or CHSP.
- Visit My Aged Care or call 1800 200 422 to seek an assessment for aged care services.
Additional criteria
A registered health professional must certify that you meet all the clinical and functional criteria.
Clinical criteria
You must:
- be a high fall risk
- suffer from an ongoing major medical condition that requires an emergency response.
Functional criteria
You must:
- have sufficient physical and cognitive function to wear and operate the personal alert system
- be willing to wear the alert system and activate it if necessary.
Social criteria
At least one of the following must apply:
- you live alone
- you are alone for a minimum of five consecutive hours, four times a week
- you live exclusively with someone who is unable to communicate using a phone in an emergency.
People not eligible
- people who have not sought an assessment for aged care services from My Aged Care
- people approved for a level 2-4 HCP
- people who have rejected an HCP or CHSP
- people currently participating in the Transitional Care Programme (TCP)
- veterans or veterans' widows or widowers who are eligible under the DVA Rehabilitation Appliances Program
- DVA Gold Card holders
- people who live independently in a retirement village where a personal alert system or similar service is included in the residence contract
- people who live in supported accommodation, eg a supported residential facility or residential aged care facility.
How to apply
Download the Application for approval or phone 1300 700 169 and ask for a form to be sent to you.
You'll need your:
- Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) or Department of Veteran's Affairs (DVA) file number
- My Aged Care (AC) ID.
Complete with registered health professional
Complete and sign the application form with a registered health professional.
Submit the application
Email: pasa@sa.gov.au
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme makes over 2,500 medicines more affordable and advises how you get the best value out of your medication. The Scheme is available to all Australian residents who hold a current Medicare card.
The PBS Schedule lists all of the medicines available to be dispensed to patients at a Government-subsidised price. The Schedule is part of the wider Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme managed by the Department of Health and Aged Care and administered by Services Australia.
This schedule is now on-line and updated on a monthly basis. This on-line searchable version contains:
- All of the drugs listed on the PBS
- Information on the conditions of use for the prescribing of PBS medicines
- Detailed consumer information for medicines that have been prescribed by your doctor or dentist
- What you can expect to pay for medicines.
Who is eligible for the PBS?
The Scheme is available to all Australian residents who hold a current Medicare card.
Overseas visitors from countries with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) are also eligible to access the Scheme. Australia currently has RHCAs with the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Malta, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Belgium and Slovenia.
Residents of these countries must show their passports when lodging a prescription to prove their eligibility or they can contact Services Australia and get a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement Card to prove their eligibility. Some overseas visitors may not be eligible for this card.
Only those eligible for the PBS will receive subsidised medication and every time you present your script to the pharmacist, you will need to provide your Medicare card.
Eligible veterans may need to present their DVA card in addition to their Medicare card.
With your consent, the pharmacist may (at their discretion) keep a record of your Medicare number so that you do not have to show the actual card every time you lodge a script.
Patient co-payments
The co-payment is the amount you pay towards the cost of your PBS subsidised medicine. Many PBS medicines cost significantly more than the co-payment amount.
From 1 January 2024, you may pay up to $31.60 for most PBS medicines, or $7.70 if you have a concession card. The Australian Government pays the remaining cost (with the exception of brand premiums and certain other allowable charges).
A range of different cards or payments are eligible for free or subsidised transport fees on Adelaide Metro trams, buses and trains.
You can use an Adelaide Metro concession fare if you have a:
- Australian Pensioner Concession Card
- Veteran Gold Card - Veteran Gold Card holders can also order a Concession 14-Day metroCARD.
- Transport Concession Card
- South Australian full-time post-secondary student ID card (as approved by the South Australian government).
Present any of these cards when purchasing a ticket.
Concession cards giving you free travel at all times:
- Mobility Pass
- Vision impairment Travel Pass
- Plus One FREE COMPANION or Companion card (free travel is only for the companion)
- Incapacitated Ex-service Personnel Travel Concession Card – for Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) clients who meet certain disability pension or impairment conditions. To apply for this card, first contact the DVA and ask them to provide you with proof/confirmation of your assessment.
You must have your concession card with you whenever you are using a concession metroCARD or Buy & Go ticket. View examples of acceptable Adelaide Metro concession cards and acceptable regional concession cards.
When you buy a new concession metroCARD (excluding Seniors Card), you pay $3.50 for the physical card and need to load a minimum of $5 to it before you can use it. You can recharge it in blocks of $5, up to $200.
South Australian Seniors Card members are entitled to free travel at all times.
You may be eligible for a Transport Concession Card if you receive any of the following Centrelink payments:
- JobSeeker Payment
- Youth Allowance
- Parenting Allowance
- Special Benefit
- Farm Household Allowance
- Community Development Program
- Self-Employment Allowance
Transport concessions for asylum seekers
Who can apply
You can apply if you:
- are waiting to lodge an application for protection
- have lodged an application for protection and are waiting for it to be processed
- have had your application for protection refused and are seeking merits or judicial review.
How to apply
Contact your Status Resolution Support Service (SRSS) provider to apply.
To apply for the Transport Concession Card you'll need:
- your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) file number
- Self-Employment Allowance recipients: A statement of income from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, showing the start and end dates of your payment.
You can apply here or download the application form and submit via email.
A single combined concession to help with the cost of your energy, water and sewerage bills is available to eligible people living in a residential park or caravan park. You could also receive the Cost of Living Concession
You cannot receive the Emergency Services Levy (fixed property) concession, as this levy is not normally charged to residents of residential parks.
To be eligible you must:
- occupy the property as your principal place of residence
- hold an Eligible concession card
- or Centrelink payment
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
Download the application form
Download and complete the Application for Concessions Residential Park Residents or contact ConcessionsSA and ask for a form to be sent to you.
Submit your application
Email the form and supporting documents to concessions@sa.gov.au
Processing delays will apply to applications received by post.
Concession amount
The concession amount is indexed each financial year. The amount you can receive depends on your living arrangements and the utilities you pay for.
The current maximum amounts are:
- up to $687.05 a year (paid quarterly) for residents who own their own dwelling and pay for water, sewerage and energy
- up to $437.05 a year (paid quarterly) for tenants who pay for water and energy
The concession is paid by electronic funds transfer (EFT). You must provide your banking details to receive the concession.
You may be eligible for reduced fees for vehicle registration and driver's licences or be exempt from paying stamp duty on compulsory third-party insurance.
A new application is required each time a concession is applied to a vehicle, trailer or motorcycle.
The following concessions are available:
Pensioner concession
You may be entitled to this concession if you hold a pension card issued by the Australian Government.
This concession is not valid for heavy vehicles with a laden mass greater than 4,500 kg.
Benefits include:
- 50% reduction in the registration fee - you may only receive concession on the registration of one motor vehicle (or motorcycle) and one trailer (or caravan) that you own and use
- exemption from the payment of stamp duty on compulsory third party insurance
- 50% reduction in the driver's licence fee.
How to apply for the concession
Phone
Call Service SA on 13 10 84. Consent to a Centrelink confirmation check will be required.
In person
Complete an application form and attend a Service SA centre.
Concession applications will be verified electronically with Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Incapacitated person's concession
You may be entitled to this concession if you have lost the use of one or both legs and you can't use public transport because of this.
Benefits include:
- 50% reduction in the registration fee - you can receive this concession on the registration of one motor vehicle (or motorcycle) that you own and use
- exemption from the payment of stamp duty on compulsory third party insurance - this is not a reduction in private vehicle insurance premiums
- exemption from the payment of stamp duty on the value of the vehicle.
This concession is not valid for heavy vehicles with a laden mass greater than 4,500 kg.
How to apply for the concession
In person
Complete an application form and attend a Service SA centrewith your medical certificate.
Incapacitated ex-service person's concession
You may be entitled to this concession if, as a result of your service in the military, you:
- are totally and permanently incapacitated, or
- are blind or have lost a leg or foot, or
- receive a pension from the Commonwealth for total incapacity or impairment of motion (at a rate of not less than 70% of the total incapacity pension).
Benefits include:
- 66.6% reduction in registration fees - you can receive concession on the registration of one motor vehicle (or motorcycle) that you own and use
- exemption from the payment of stamp duty on compulsory third party insurance - this is not a reduction in the private vehicle insurance premiums
- exemption from the payment of stamp duty on the value of the vehicle
- 50% reduction in the driver's licence fee.
This concession is not valid for heavy vehicles with a laden mass greater than 4,500 kg.
How to apply for the concession
- Complete the application form.
- Present a letter from the Department of Veterans' Affairs showing total incapacity and eligibility with your application. If you're a holder of a GOLD card that is endorsed with the letters TPI (totally and permanently incapacitated) or EDI (extreme disablement adjustment) you may be exempt from producing the letter.
- Lodge the application at a Service SA centre.
For more information, phone Service SA on 13 10 84.
Primary producer concession
A primary producer may be engaged in farming, beekeeping, fishing or other similar activity. Benefit includes:
- 50% reduction on light vehicle registration fees
- 40% reduction in some heavy vehicle registration fees.
A boat trailer is a non-commercial vehicle and therefore is not valid for this concession.
How to apply for the concession
Farmers
- Complete the application for vehicle registration concession with the location of the land being farmed.
- State whether the land is owned, leased or share farmed. If the land is share farmed - the current share farming agreement must be shown.
- Lodge the application at a Service SA centre.
Apiarists
- Complete the application for vehicle registration concession with the location of the land being farmed.
- State the number of beehives and have a minimum of 100 hives.
- Be registered with the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA).
- Lodge the application at a Service SA centre.
Fishing
- Complete the application for vehicle registration concession.
- Show that a marine scale or restricted marine scale fishing licence has been issued in your name by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA.
- Lodge the application at a Service SA centre.
For more information, phone Service SA on 13 10 84.
Outer areas concession
You may be entitled to this concession, providing the vehicle is:
- used wholly or mainly in outer areas
- registered to an owner who resides in an outer area
- kept at a premise situated in an outer area.
Outer areas include:
- the whole of Kangaroo Island
- the District Council of Coober Pedy
- the District Council of Roxby Downs
- all other parts of South Australia that are not within a municipality, a district council area, or Iron Knob.
Benefits include:
- a 50% reduction in registration fees for eligible vehicles with a gross vehicle mass less than or equal to 4.5 tonne (light vehicles)
- a 40% reduction in registration fees for eligible vehicles with a gross vehicle mass over 4.5 tonne (heavy vehicles).
Note: OA Concession is not applicable to heavy vehicles that are Rigid Truck types 1 and 2 or Special Purpose Vehicles.
How to apply for the concession
In person
Complete an application form and attend a Service SA centre.
mySAGOV account
Log in to your mySAGOVaccount to apply OA concession to your eligible vehicles.
Help to pay your water and sewerage rates at your principal place of residence is available to eligible South Australians on low or fixed incomes.
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:
- own or rent your principal place of residence
- pay for water supply and/or all water usage
- hold an eligible card, receive an eligible Centrelink payment or meet low income provisions.
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
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 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.