Cost of Living Concession

Mrs PEARCE (King) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Human Services. How has the Malinauskas Labor government delivered its election commitment to double the Cost of Living Concession for this year?

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (15:05): I thank the member for the question, and I know the member for King has many people in her electorate who are currently benefiting from this fantastic policy decision that we made. The Malinauskas Labor government understands the cost-of-living challenges facing many South Australians. That's why we promised a range of measures at the 2022 election that help households who are doing it really tough.

Along with the Minister for Transport, we have now delivered on a commitment to provide free public transport for seniors 24/7. I commend the minister for this decision and for delivering this in July. We also have promised, as a team together, $177 million in extra funding for public housing. We have already signed the first contracts for new homes. I look forward to working along with many of my colleagues who have an interest in providing homes for people across South Australia in the coming years.

We promised to double the Cost of Living Concession for this financial year. I am aware that the now opposition did not promise anything in relation to providing cost-of-living relief in terms of raising the concession rate. Our concession promise, which we have now delivered, during the last week in August, when more than $70 million was paid into the bank accounts of eligible households, has been greatly received. This is the largest ever state government payment to concession recipients, with one in five South Australian households benefiting from this. More than 190,000 households received a doubled concession, with concession holders receiving up to $449 each.

This extra help can have huge positive impacts on low income households who do not have savings and face higher prices or unexpected bills. Cindy, who sells The Big Issue magazine and often works at the Adelaide Farmers Market, told one of the staff from my office that it meant she could pay a vet bill for her bird but also still buy her medication. This is a decision that so many households have to make: do they pay a vet bill or do they buy their medication? Cindy has been able to do both. She was one of almost 50,000 renters who didn't have to wait until next March to receive their concession because we have now overdelivered on the election promise, bringing the concession payment for renters forward by six months.

This was following a letter received by my office from a pensioner in the western suburbs, Lyndal, who asked why renters were forced to wait eight months until March for their payment when home owners received them in August. We listened and we have delivered. My office has received so many calls from members of the public, and I know the Premier also has received great feedback.

They were concerned that people might not hear about the extra payment and not register in time, so we promoted and we talked about this payment at every opportunity. As a result, 18,500 households have received cost-of-living concessions—sorry, Treasurer—for the first time. That is tens of thousands of people who have had more help today.

Applications for new recipients—so that may increase—is open until 31 December. Our system will provide more than $210 million to hundreds of thousands of households this year across a range of concessions. We have overdelivered on the promise and I am really proud.