Who Gets the Cost of Living Payment in SA? Full Guide for 2025
Feeling the pinch from rising expenses in South Australia? To help ease the burden, the state government offers the Cost of Living Concession (COLC), a yearly payment aimed at assisting eligible residents with everyday costs like energy bills, water, and council rates.
Whether you’re a homeowner, tenant, or on a fixed income, this guide will walk you through exactly what the cost of living payment is, who qualifies, how much you could receive, and how to apply. Let’s ensure you’re not missing out on the support you need.
What Is the Cost of Living Payment in South Australia?
The cost of living payment, officially called the Cost of Living Concession (COLC), is a once-a-year, tax-free cash boost from the South Australian Government. Its job is simple: help you cover everyday bills like energy, water, council rates or groceries when prices keep climbing.
If eligible, the money lands straight in your bank account via electronic funds transfer (EFT), typically between August and December, so you can use it where you need it most. It’s not a voucher or rebate; you get real money to help manage real costs.
Beware of Scams and Misinformation
It’s essential to note that the COLC is a state-based payment offered by the South Australian Government, not Centrelink.
Previously, the federal government did provide a Cost of Living Payment through Centrelink, but this program ended on 30 June 2023. Since then, no new Centrelink cost of living payment has been announced.
Unfortunately, some unofficial websites and social media accounts have been spreading false information about new Centrelink cost of living payment details, often promising ‘one-off’ or ‘bonus’ payments ranging from $750 to $4,100. These are scams designed to capture your personal information.
Services Australia warns that these fake offers are clickbait and not genuine. Always ensure you’re getting information from official sources.
Who Can Get the Cost of Living Payment?
You may qualify for the Cost of Living Concession if you live in South Australia and, on 1 July of the relevant financial year, you fit into one of the groups below:
Homeowners
First, you must live at the address for which you’re claiming the concession.
On top of that, you need to either:
Hold an eligible concession card, including Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC), or Low Income Health Care Card
Receive an eligible Centrelink payment
Meet specific low-income thresholds
Tenants
Tenants who meet the same criteria also qualify. But a written rental agreement is required, which includes residential tenancy agreements, rooming house agreements, or resident contracts for supported facilities.
Asylum Seekers
Even if you’re an asylum seeker or not receiving Centrelink payments, you might still qualify under low-income provisions, but you’ll need to supply supporting documents like a recent tax assessment or utility bills.
If this is your first time applying, make sure you submit your application by 31 December of that financial year.
If you’ve received the payment before, and your living situation hasn’t changed, you’re likely to get it automatically. But it’s a good idea to keep your contact and bank details up to date.
Just remember: only one payment is made per household, even if more than one person is eligible.
How Much Is the Cost of Living Payment?
For the 2024–25 financial year, the standard Cost of Living Concession is currently $255.60 per eligible household. But when you add in the other state concessions—like help with energy, water, and sewerage bills—the total support package can be worth around $1,100 a year.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s available:
Cost of Living Concession: $255.60 paid directly into your account
Energy Concession: up to $274.85 credited to your electricity bill
Water Concession: up to $398.40 off your SA Water charges
Sewerage Concession: up to $162.20 towards council sewerage rates
Medical Heating and Cooling Concession: up to $274.85 if you have a qualifying medical condition
Emergency Services Levy (ESL) Concession: $46 off fixed property charges for eligible homeowners
While only the COLC is paid in cash via EFT, the rest show up as credits on your bills. You only need to apply once to be assessed for all of them.
All concession amounts are indexed on 1 July each year, so they may change slightly in future budgets.
If you’ve seen posts claiming a new Centrelink $1,100 cost of living payment, those might be clickbaits.
How to Apply for Cost of Living Payment?
If you’re eligible, applying for the SA Cost of Living Concession is pretty straightforward. And once you’re set up, you won’t need to reapply each year unless your situation changes.
Here’s how it works:
1. Gather what you’ll need
Before you fill in the form, make sure you have the following handy:
Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN), DVA file number, or your most recent tax assessment (if you don’t have either)
A recent electricity bill with your account details and NMI
Your latest water bill
If you’re a homeowner, your Emergency Services Levy (ESL) ownership number
Your bank account details (BSB and account number) for the payment deposit
2. Choose how you want to apply
There are a couple of ways you can apply:
Online: This is the quickest option. Head to the SA Government website and complete the Household Concessions form online.
Paper form: If you prefer a hard copy, call the Concessions SA hotline on 1800 307 758 (Monday–Friday, 9 am – 5 pm) and they’ll post one out.
If you live in a residential or caravan park: You’ll need to download a separate form. Your park manager will need to fill out a section before you send it in.
3. Submit your form by 31 December
To receive the Cost of Living Concession for the current financial year, your application needs to be lodged by 31 December. If you miss this deadline, you can still be assessed for other concessions, but you won’t get the cash payment for that year.
4. What happens next?
Once your application is approved, you’ll get a confirmation. The cost of living payment (up to $255.60) is paid into your bank account between August and December. The other concessions—like energy, water, and sewerage—show up as credits on your bills.
5. Keep your details up to date
If you move house, change your energy provider, or get a new concession card, make sure you update your info with Concessions SA. This helps avoid delays or missed payments. You can update online or by calling the hotline.
Want to Save on Your Electricity Bills? Try a Solar Generator
Rooftop solar slashes energy costs for millions of Aussie households, but not everyone can afford it or bolt panels to the roof. If you’re looking to cut power bills or stay prepared for outages without installing rooftop solar, a solar generator could be just the thing.
These all-in-one systems combine solar panels to harvest free sunshine and then store the energy in a portable power station, giving you clean, reliable power anywhere.
Unlike diesel generators, portable power stations are silent, fume-free and cheaper to run over the long haul because the “fuel” is free once you buy the kit. They charge during the day and feed built-in AC outlets or USB ports at night, so you can run a fridge, modem or medical device without pulling peak-rate power from the grid.
One of the standout options available now is the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Solar Generator (PV400W）.The EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station is the first portable home battery engineered for household backup, combining robust power with compact flexibility. Its 3.6–25kWh scalable capacity ensures resilience during prolonged outages or power disruptions, while 3,600–7,200W AC output drives nearly all home appliances—from refrigerators and kettles to power tools.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Solar Generator (PV400W）
Featuring versatile charging options—solar panels, wall outlets, car ports, and more—it adapts seamlessly to any environment. The revolutionary X-Stream Charging Technology delivers both speed and safety, fully replenishing the DELTA Pro from a standard wall outlet in just 1.9 hours.The included EcoFlow 400W Portable Solar Panel is highly efficient, water- and dust-resistant (IP68 rated), and folds down for easy transport.
Conclusion
Navigating financial pressures can be challenging, but the SA cost of living payment is here to provide some relief. If you meet the eligibility criteria, applying is straightforward and could offer a welcome boost to your budget. Remember, applications close on 31 December each year, so it’s worth checking your eligibility sooner rather than later.
FAQs
Who qualifies for the $750 payment?
The only legitimate $750 Centrelink lump sums were the two Economic Support Payments made in March–April 2020 and again on the 10 July 2020 “test date”, at the height of the COVID-19 response.
You had to be living in Australia on the test day and already receiving an eligible Centrelink payment or holding a concession card such as the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, JobSeeker, Family Tax Benefit, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
If you met those conditions the money was paid automatically. There was no application form. Any social-media posts claiming a new $750 cash bonus for 2025 are hoaxes that Services Australia warns people to ignore.
Who is eligible for the $4,000 Centrelink payment?
The well-publicised “$4,000 payment” is not a cash deposit but a one-off $4,000 credit to your Work Bonus balance. You can receive it automatically when you first claim the Age Pension (or return to it) if you are of Age-Pension age and hadn’t previously received the credit.
The boost was legislated for claims lodged between 1 December 2022 and 30 June 2024, but the standard Work Bonus rules continue, letting pensioners (including some Carer Payment and DSP recipients who are over Age-Pension age) earn up to $300 per fortnight before their pension is affected.
Because it is only a bookkeeping credit, it won’t appear in your bank account; instead it lets you keep more of your wages before your pension rate is reduced. No separate claim is needed.
What is the $1000 Centrelink payment 2025?
There is no universal $1,000 hand-out. The figure comes from two genuine programs:
Advance Payment: most long-term income-support recipients (Age Pension, DSP, Carer Payment, JobSeeker, Family Tax Benefit etc.) can request up to about $1,000 as an interest-free advance of their own future entitlements. You repay it over 13 fortnights and must wait 3 months after starting a payment before requesting one.
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP): after a declared disaster such as the 2025 Queensland and NSW floods, adults who suffer major damage, injury or loss of life can claim a lump-sum $1,000 (plus $400 per child). You must live in the declared area and meet specific residence and impact tests; claims are lodged through myGov.
What date do we get $250 from Centrelink?
At present there is no scheduled $250 one-off payment in 2025. The last confirmed $250 lump sums were:
the third and fourth Economic Support Payments paid automatically from December 2020 and March 2021, based on 27 Nov 2020 and 26 Feb 2021 test dates; and
a separate $250 Cost-of-Living Payment issued in late April 2022 to people who held an eligible payment or concession card on 29 March 2022.
Both programmes have ended, and Services Australia states that any posts claiming a brand-new $250 bonus are false. If Parliament legislates fresh cost-of-living relief the exact date will be announced through official channels and will also appear in your myGov inbox.