How to Apply for Rates Rebate in WA

The Single Registration That Covers Everything

Western Australia uses a Common Registration Service run by the Water Corporation. One application registers your concession entitlement for both water charges and council rates. You do not need to contact your local council separately — the Water Corporation forwards your verified details electronically.

This is the part that catches most people: receiving a Pensioner Concession Card or WA Seniors Card does not automatically apply a rates concession to your property. You must register.

Three Ways to Apply

Online (recommended): Go to watercorporation.com.au/concessions and complete the registration form. The system verifies your concession card in real time against Centrelink or DVA databases.

By phone: Call the Water Corporation on 1300 659 951. A customer service representative will verify your identity, card number, and property details over the phone.

In person: Visit your local council's civic centre with your concession card, a current rate notice, and photo identification. Council staff can help lodge the application or accept a signed consent form to access verification databases on your behalf.

What You Need Before Applying

Have these ready:

• Your concession card number (Pensioner Concession Card, State Concession Card, or WA Seniors Card)
• Your property address and rate notice reference number
• Your Water Corporation account number (if you have one)
• If applying on behalf of someone else, a registered Enduring Power of Attorney or formal third-party authority

What Happens After You Apply

The Water Corporation validates your card status and checks your property ownership against Landgate title records. Once approved:

1. Your water account is adjusted
2. The Water Corporation sends an electronic notification to your local council
3. Your council updates its rating database and issues an adjusted rate notice

The inter-agency transfer typically takes 5 to 10 business days. Check your next rate notice or contact your council to confirm the concession is showing.

Timing Matters

For council rates, you need to have owned and occupied the property on 1 July to receive any rebate for that rating year. If you qualify but register later in the year, you get a pro-rata rebate from your registration date through to 30 June.

Water concessions start from the date you register, regardless of the 1 July rule.

You cannot backdate concessions to prior rating years. If you have been eligible for three years but only register now, you receive a pro-rata rebate for this year only. This is one of the most common and costly mistakes — the sooner you register, the more you save.

Our WA Rates Concessions Guide includes a pre-application checklist and evidence preparation worksheet so you have everything ready before you start.

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