Like all state governments, the South Australian state government provides concessions for people living on very low incomes and struggling with affordability of essential services. Those who are eligible receive a discount, subsidy, rebate, or exemption from fees or goods or services to assist people to get where they need to go, meet their basic needs, and live healthier lives. However, the concessions system retains the markers of its piecemeal development over time and there is a patchwork of different payments with varying eligibility criteria.
SACOSS' major review of the concessions system in South Australia, highlights how the complex patchwork created poverty premiums and barriers to accessing concessions support.
Download the SACOSS report: The State of Concessions in South Australia: Poverty Premiums and Barriers to Access
In this report, SACOSS made 3 major recommendations to address the systemic flaws in concessions:
- A broad review of the concession system as a whole to ensure consistency, proper targeting and ease of access across the system;
- Extension of all concessions available to age pension recipients to other Centrelink recipients receiving lower payment
- Introduction for all concessions of an additional low-income eligibility criteria which is not based on receipt of Centrelink benefits in order to support those living in waged poverty or otherwise outside the Centrelink system.
New examples of the unfairness of the concessions system are summarised in our 2023 two-page policy brief.
Download the policy brief here.
In response to SACOSS' report, the state government agreed to review the concessions system. That review progressed through 2023, with a view to changes being implemented in 2024. As part of the review process, SACOSS commissioned a community panel of 33 South Australians from a diverse range of backgrounds to be part of a deliberative democracy process to consider the role and priorities for state government concessions. Read more about the community panel and to download its report, click here.
For SA government information on concessions, and to apply for concessions, go to SA.GOV.AU - Concessions (www.sa.gov.au)