Experiencing difficulty paying your rates?
The Town of Walkerville is committed to assisting ratepayers who are experiencing difficulty paying their rates. We can offer various options to help ratepayers manage their payments.
Please contact Council's Rates Officer to confidentially discuss any of the options below on 8342 7100.
Payment arrangements
Payment arrangements can be set up for ratepayers to schedule their rate payments across the financial year.
You can elect to pay your rates in a weekly, fortnightly or monthly arrangement. This allows rates to be paid in smaller, more manageable ongoing payments.
Council will not take any further recovery action while a customer is maintaining a payment arrangement, however, fines and/or interest are still applicable in accordance with the Local Government Act 1999.
Financial hardship
If you believe you are experiencing financial hardship due to loss of income, family crisis, illness or injury, you should consider applying for remission or postponement of rates by filling out a financial hardship application form.
Ratepayers seeking postponement or remission of rates under hardship will be required to obtain advice and documentation from an accredited financial counsellor. There are various financial counsellors in the area who offer services for free.
Salvation Army: MoneyCare
277 Pirie Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
Ph: 1800 722 363 | Email: fcsupport@aus.salvationarmy.org
Uniting Communities
43 Franklin Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
Ph: 1800 615 677 | Email: fconduty@unitingcommunities.org
Anglicare SA
82 Gilbert Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
Ph: 1800 759 707 | Email: financialcounselling@anglicaresa.com.au
Seniors postponement of rates
The Local Government Act 1999 provides the option for State Seniors Card holders to apply to postpone their Council rates on their principal place of residence (that is the place lived in most of the time) and if no other person other than their spouse has an interest as owner of the property.
Postponed rates remain a charge on the land and are not required to be repaid until the property is sold or disposed of.
At least $500 must be paid each year, and can be made in quarterly instalments, or smaller and more frequent amounts.
Example:
Total yearly rates amount: $4,000
You pay $500 (or $125 per quarter, or smaller and more frequent amounts)
Amount of rates postponed $3,500.
Ratepayers are only able to postpone current rates and future rates under the Seniors Postponement Scheme. Noting that any rate arrears that are currently overdue at the time of your application are unable to be postponed.
For more information regarding seniors postponement, please view the seniors postponement fact sheet.
To apply for seniors postponement, please fill out the seniors oostponement application form.
State Government concessions
The State Government provides a ‘Cost of Living Concession’.
This payment may be used for any purpose, including offsetting Council rates.
To view the range of concessions you may be eligible for, visit www.sa.gov.au/concessions or phone the ConcessionsSA Hotline (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) - 1800 307 758.
Please contact Council's Rates Officer to confidentially discuss any of these options on 8342 7100 or walkerville@walkerville.sa.gov.au.