The 2024-25 State Budget delivers a comprehensive $266.2 million cost of living relief package targeted to South Australians most in need of support.
The budget provides $51.5 million in 2023-24 to provide a once-off additional Cost of Living Concession payment of $243.90 to all recipients who have received the Cost of Living Concession payment in 2023-24.
This additional payment will occur in June 2024, providing immediate and targeted support to over 210 000 South Australians at the onset of winter, when energy bills increase for many households.
Tenants and Senior Health Card holders will also receive the $243.90, a significant boost from their existing concession of $122.
The budget also provides $36.6 million over four years to permanently align the Cost of Living Concession payment for around 73,000 eligible tenants and Commonwealth Seniors
Health Card holders to match the payment made to eligible homeowners. This effectively permanently doubles the Cost of Living Concession for eligible tenants and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders, from $127.80 to $255.60 in 2024-25.
South Australian families will also benefit from a $200 reduction in the materials and services charge for the 2025 school year. This $24 million initiative will support parents and caregivers of up to 120 000 government school students.
The State Government will also provide $54.6 million over four years to permanently double the amount of support under the sports vouchers program for each eligible child from one to two $100 vouchers, providing up to $200 in support for approximately 100,000 eligible children.
The program will be extended for the first time to eligible children who participate in music. A family with two school-aged children could save an additional $600 in 2024-25 through the doubling of the sports vouchers, and the reduction in the school material and services charge.
When combined with the Commonwealth Government tax cuts and energy bill relief, the same family on a combined income of $150 000 could save over $4,000 in 2024-25.
The budget also provides $10.6 million over four years to extend access to concessional public transport fares to all Health Care Card holders, benefiting an additional 15 000 people and providing savings up to $2.25 per trip.
Tenants in more than 3,500 public and community sector homes will benefit through significant energy bill savings as a result of a $35.8 million social housing energy upgrade initiative.
The program to be delivered over three years will provide for insulation improvements and replacement of inefficient appliances.
The budget also provides $14.1 million over four years to expand eligibility and increase a range of existing government support programs from 2024-25 including:
- Extending access to existing household concessions to eligible people living in share houses, providing support to an additional 2,200 people;
- Extending eligibility and access to GlassesSA to support an additional 7 000 people with the cost of acquiring new glasses each year;
- Increasing access to and the level of support available under the Emergency Electricity Payment Scheme to assist an additional 1 300 households who are experiencing bill hardship.
- Expanding access to the funeral assistance scheme by increasing the current asset threshold from $3,000 to $4,000 and ensuring more people in financial hardship can access support for funeral costs;
- Improving access to Changing Places facilities for around 10,000 Companion Card holders;
- Improving the Home Dialysis Concession, benefitting around 200 people; and
- Providing access to concessions for about 500 asylum seekers.
$18.4 million over four years is provided to support non-government organisations delivering services to the community on behalf of government to meet the challenge of rising costs associated with inflation pressures. This is in addition to $112.2 million in extra funding in the 2022-23 Mid-Year Budget Review and the 2023-24 Budget for this purpose.
For the third year in a row, the government has indexed fees and charges to keep them below inflation. The across government fee increase is 3 per cent, well below the 4.3 per cent inflation rate.
The budget provides $500,000 in 2023-24 to support the Remote Area Energy Supply Scheme due to a rise in the price of diesel fuel in remote communities and townships that are serviced by the scheme.
Businesses will benefit from $20 million for Round 2 of the Economic Recovery Fund, to support up to 8,000 eligible small businesses and not-for-profit organisations with grants between $2,500 and $50,000 to invest in energy efficient equipment or other improvements to reduce and manage their energy usage and costs for years to come.
Applications for Round 2 are expected to open in August 2024. Further details on the grant scheme will be available on the Office for Small and Family Business website.
Motorists will continue to benefit from the competitive CTP Scheme legislated by the previous Labor Government with the vast majority of premiums to fall from 1 July.
Quotes
Attributable to Peter Malinauskas
Our strong budget management and delivery of surpluses means we’re in a position to help households as they combat inflation and interest rates.
We are putting money in the pockets of our most vulnerable at the time they most need it.
We’re also helping families with the cost of living in a healthy way, by supporting kids to engage in sport and music rather than playing on their phones.
These measures, including our $200 discount on the school materials and services charge, will deliver hundreds of dollars of savings to families.
Attributable to Stephen Mullighan
We know that the impact of interest rate rises and inflation has put stress on many households.
The Malinauskas Government is determined to help those in the community who need it the most whilst also helping families who are also feeling pressure on their household budgets.
Attributable to Nat Cook
Renters face some of the biggest challenges in terms of affordability and housing stability in South Australia and for too long they’ve been treated as second class citizens within the concessions system.
That is why this State Budget is giving all recipients access to the additional payment, as well as doubling the cost-of-living concession payment for renters from 2024-25, so they get exactly the same as homeowners.
At the 2022 election, we promised to undertake a review of concessions offered in South Australia and double the cost-of-living concession for 12 months.
Not only have we delivered on these election commitments, the Malinauskas Government has gone steps further to double the cost-of-living concession for renters and respond to the concessions review with a list of measures targeted at those who are most vulnerable in our community.
These include people on bridging visas who can’t access many supports others take for granted, households experiencing poverty who are unable to pay for funerals for loved ones, and support for people on welfare payments to have access to glasses.
This budget also provides public transport cost relief to thousands of Commonwealth Health Care Card holders, complementing existing free access to public transport for Seniors Card holders
