Pensioner concession rates rebates | City of Greater Geelong

Pensioner concession rates rebates

Should you hold an eligible pension card, you may be eligible for a rates rebate on your property.

If you hold a current Pension Concession Card (not a Health Care Card) or a Veteran Affairs Gold Card which stipulates TPI or War Widow you may claim a rebate on your sole or principal place of residence.

Please note: the ratepayer does not need to be the property owner. To add a ratepayer we require a written request from the owner via email or post stating the name date of birth and contact details of the person that they wish to have added as a responsible ratepayer.

The rebate is 50 percent of the total rates and charges up to the maximum State Government rebate amount of $253.20.

Applications must be lodged by 30 June 2024. If you remain eligible and received the rebate last financial year you do not need to reapply the rebate amount will be shown on your Rates Valuation and Charges Notice.

New pensioners

You may become eligible for a rebate during the financial year. To obtain the concession rebate you must lodge a written application to obtain a rebate for that rating year.

If you believe that you should receive the Pensioner Rates Rebate but your rate notice does not show this reduction you will need to visit one of our Customer Service Centres with your eligible card to apply for the rebate.

Alternatively you can email CoGGrecords@geelongcity.vic.gov.au and attach a copy of your completed Pension Concession application form.

Change of circumstances

Where your circumstances have changed from those set out in your original application you are required by law to advise us in writing of these changes.

Applying for a pensioner rates rebate

The Pensioner Rebate applies to your sole and principal place of residence. Once you have filled in an application form you should not have to do this again unless your circumstances change or the State Government requires us to again check your eligibility with you.

Circumstances that may result in this being necessary include:

moving house
changing pension type (that is: Veterans Affairs to Social Security)
auditing (that is: pensioner verification)
change of name.

Moving house

The rebate applies to one Residential dwelling per financial year. We always check to ensure that you havent already received a rebate in the current financial year.

You can complete a new application form for your new home once your pension card displays the same address as your new home.

This new application will then take effect in the next rating/financial year.

Multiple applications

You can only apply for a pensioner rates rebate on one residential property per financial year.

Multiple properties

Only your principal place of residence is entitled to a pension rebate on rates - holiday homes or investment properties are not eligible for this rebate.

Retrospective claims

If you lived at your property last year but forgot to claim the rebate you may be entitled to claim a retrospective claim of up to $253.20. This claim is in addition to your current claim of up to $253.20.

Applications need to be made at any of the Customer Service Centres by 30 June 2024 to get the rebate for the 2023-2024 rating period.

Approval after 30 June 2024 cannot be guaranteed.

Fire services property levy

The State Government’s Fire Services Property Levy allows for a $50 concession for eligible ratepayers.

Eligibility for the levy is exactly the same as for your municipal rates.

The additional concession will be granted automatically with your rating pension concession application.

Rates admnistration

Pension verification

Every year, we send a report to the federal government on all pension rebates claimed by applicants.

Rates admnistration

Retrospective pension claims

You may be eligible to apply for a retrospective pensioner rates rebate claim at your property.

Rates admnistration

Rates deferral

A rates deferral may be possible if you are experiencing financial hardship.

Rates admnistration

Rates waiver

A rates waiver may be possible if your valuation has increased over 50 percent (excluding building works) and you are a pensioner, or have a taxable income below $56,137 for 2022-2023.

Raising a family

This Girl Can

This Girl Can - Victoria celebrates women of all backgrounds, abilities, ages and body shapes getting active.

The rebate applies to one ratepayer of one house per financial year so we always check to make sure that you haven't already claimed the concession in this financial year at your previous home if you were a ratepayer there. We can fill in a new form for you if your pension card shows the property address that you are wishing to claim concession on. If you have not already claimed the concession within the current financial year you will receive the rebate. If you have claimed within the current financial year your details will be stored within our system and you will receive the rebate in the new financial year.
No. To provide a discount to certain ratepayers all other ratepayers will have to fund the discount. The pensioner rebate provided to our ratepayers is funded by the State Government.