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The Cost of Living Concession (COLC) is a yearly payment to help tenants and homeowners 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.
Apply or update your details
The online form covers four household concessions, including the COLC.
Use it to apply or to update your details with ConcessionsSA - 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
- most recent electricity and water bills
- most recent Notice of Emergency Services Levy Assessment (homeowners only)
- bank details (BSB and account number).
Who can apply
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
- if you are a tenant, hold a written rental agreement, such as:
- residential tenancy agreement
- rooming house agreement
- resident contract for a supported residential facility
Asylum seekers can also be eligible - how to apply for concessions as an asylum seeker
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 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 these amounts:
| Status | Fortnightly income before tax | Annual income before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $912.70 | $23,730.20 |
| Single with children | $966.90 | $25,139.40 |
| Partnered | $1,696.60 | $44,111.60 |
What happens next
The concession is paid once a year directly into your bank account by EFT.
Concession amount
The concession amount is indexed each financial year.
The 2025-26 concession amount will be published before July this year.
For the 2024-25 financial year, the amount per eligible household was $255.60.
Payments for the 2025-26 financial year
You don't need to do anything if you received the COLC in your name before or you recently applied. You will be assessed for the 2025-26 payment as at 1 July this year.
Your payment will be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) if eligible. You must provide your banking details to receive the concession.
Use the online household concessions form to update your bank details, or contact the ConcessionsSA Hotline.
How to identify your 2024-25 COLC payment
Check your bank account or statements between August and December 2024.
Look for a payment of $255.60 with the payment description Concessions COLC.
Contact ConcessionsSA
Email: concessions@sa.gov.au
Phone: 1800 307 758 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday
