ConcessionsSA Household Concessions Portal SA

One Form, Four Concessions

ConcessionsSA is the South Australian Government's centralised portal for household concessions. What most people don't realise is that submitting a single application through ConcessionsSA automatically screens you for four concessions at once: the Cost of Living Concession (COLC), the energy bill concession, the water and sewerage rate concession, and the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) remission.

You don't need to apply four times. One form triggers eligibility checks across all four programs. If you qualify for any of them, the relevant concession is activated without a separate application.

What Each Concession Is Worth in 2026/27

The four household concessions administered through ConcessionsSA cover different parts of a homeowner's annual bills:

• Cost of Living Concession: $270.60 paid directly into your bank account via EFT between August and December
• Energy bill concession: up to $291.27 a year, usually credited to your electricity bill
• Water and sewerage concession: water $304.12 to $484.80 (up to 30% of eligible water charges); sewerage up to $228.12 for homeowner-occupiers
• ESL remission: up to $46 off your Emergency Services Levy assessment

Eligible homeowners can receive up to $1,321 across these four concessions in 2026/27. The amount depends on eligibility and bill and tenure details; the COLC is a bank transfer, while other concessions are generally credited to bills.

How to Apply Through ConcessionsSA

You can apply online at sa.gov.au/concessions without needing a mySAGOV account. You'll need your Centrelink Customer Reference Number or DVA File Number, your most recent electricity and SA Water bills, your ESL assessment notice, and your bank account details for the COLC payment.

Paper applications are available as a downloadable PDF (375.4 KB) or an Easy Read version (300.4 KB) from the same portal. You can also request a paper form by phoning 1800 307 758 or writing to GPO Box 292, Adelaide SA 5001.

Non-English speakers can access interpreting services via 1800 280 203, and TTY users via 8226 6789.

Who Qualifies

Eligibility differs by concession and is assessed using your circumstances as of 1 July. Card, income, residence and account requirements for one concession do not automatically apply to all four:

• Pensioner Concession Card holders
• DVA Gold Card holders (TPI, EDA, or War Widow)
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders
• Low Income Health Care Card holders
• JobSeeker or Youth Allowance recipients
• For the income-based COLC or water concession, annual income must be below $24,926.20 (single) or $46,295.60 (partnered)

You must live at the property as your principal residence; some concessions also require property ownership, a written lease or an account in your name.

Deadlines and Renewals

The critical deadline is 31 December. First-time applicants and people reporting changed circumstances must lodge by 31 December 2026 to receive the 2026/27 COLC payment. Applications received after this date roll over to the next financial year — there's no backdating.

If your circumstances haven't changed from the previous year, ConcessionsSA automatically re-validates your eligibility through electronic data-matching with Centrelink. You don't need to reapply each year unless something changes.

What ConcessionsSA Does Not Cover

The portal handles state-level household concessions. It does not process council-level programs like the Seniors Rates Postponement (Section 182A of the Local Government Act) or Section 182 hardship remissions — those applications go directly to your local council's rates team.

For a complete walkthrough of every state and council-level concession available, including how the ConcessionsSA programs interact with council postponement and hardship relief, see our Council Rates Help for Pensioners in South Australia guide.

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