Two new schemes for Northern Territory residents that support eligible pensioners, including aged pension recipients, with the cost of living and recognise the valuable contribution seniors continue to make to the Northern Territory.
A means-tested scheme supporting eligible Territorians with the cost of living.
Recognising the valuable contribution senior Territorians make to the Northern Territory. All senior Territorians 65 years or older, are eligible for this scheme
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Senior Territorians who are 65 years and older and receive an eligible pension, can be members of both schemes.
You can check your eligibility here.
To join the NT Seniors Recognition Scheme or the NT Concession Scheme as a new member, visit a Territory Families shopfront, call 1800 777 704 or complete the membership application on the website.
Members will need to confirm eligibility by 31 December, 2018 to continue to receive concessions.
Members of the new schemes are required to confirm their details before 1 July each year.
This includes a declaration that members have lived in the Northern Territory for at least 183 days of the financial year.
NT Seniors Recognition Scheme members will be asked to nominate how they would like to use their payment when they complete the annual confirmation.
Members who entered the existing scheme before 2014 as a senior (age based eligibility) will be grandfathered into the new scheme. This membership will only end if members are no longer a NT resident.
Grandfathering allows members to continue to receive existing concessions (with introduced caps to electricity and water).
The travel payment available as part of the existing scheme will move to the NT Seniors Recognition Scheme and will be available each financial year to members of the scheme.
A Northern Territory resident is someone who lives in the Northern Territory for at least 183 days of the financial year. The days do not need to be consecutive.
Members who do not live in the Northern Territory for at least 183 days will not be entitled to scheme membership. They can reapply to the scheme if they return to the Northern Territory.
Previous members who reapply will need to meet the same eligibility requirements as a new applicant.
The Northern Territory Concession Scheme (NTCS) is a means-tested scheme supporting eligible Territorians with the cost of living. To be eligible for the NTCS, residents must currently receive a commonwealth benefit including the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, Parenting Payment (single) and some Department of Veterans’ Affairs benefits.
The NT Seniors Recognition Scheme (NTSRS) recognises the valuable contribution seniors make to the Territory. All senior Territorians turning 65 years or older, are eligible for this scheme.
Grandfathering honours the previous level of commitment that former governments have made to scheme members.
If you are an existing eligible member, you will continue to receive your current range of benefits. The only change you will experience is the capping of the power and water concessions.
Existing scheme members will be transitioned to the NT Concession Scheme. Members will continue to receive the concessions that were available as part of the previous scheme.
Members will need to confirm eligibility by 31 December, 2018 to continue to receive concessions. Members who did not confirm their details have had their membership cancelled.
Membership cancellations can be appealed. For more information see existing members.
The NT Concession Scheme will include the same eight concessions as the current scheme.
The eight concessions are electricity, water, sewerage, property rates, garbage, motor vehicle registration, driver’s licences and spectacles. Electricity and water concessions will be capped.
The capped amounts are based on average usage rates of $1,200 for electricity and $800 for water.