More pensioners targeted in rebates

THE City of Joburg wants to increase the number of pensioners who are eligible to benefit from the rebates on their residential properties.

City’s spokesperson Kgamanyane Maphologela said the City was responding to the calls from the senior citizens who are not coping with the current economic hardships and are appealing to the City for some relief on their property rates.

“When the City consults property owners across all regions every year, one of the consistent appeals we receive is from pensioners, who have worked so hard over the years and have invested in their homes. Now, because they no longer work and have retired, they are pleading with the City to intervene and lessen the burden of the rising costs,” explained Maphologela.

There are currently more than 30 000 pensioners who receive property rebates on their residential homes. They are either exempted altogether from paying the rates or receive a certain percentage of the rebate based on their qualifying criteria.

Maphologela said the City is demonstrating that it is a pro-poor administration, in that it also proposes that the pensioner rebate income bracket be increased further by 6.2 per cent. Increasing the income bracket means more pensioners will qualify to receive the rebate.

Maphologela stated that the City had taken some of the suggestions from the ratepayers and incorporated them into the proposed property rates policy. This comes following the first phase of the rates policy consultation meetings with the ratepayers, business community and various stakeholders earlier in the year.

The second phase of the consultations with the residents will end with the Integrated Development Plan process.

He said the proposed 6.2 per cent property rate increase for the 2017/2018 financial year takes into account the present unfavourable economic conditions, the high cost of living, sensitivity to the needs of the customers and the intention to increase the number of pensioners who qualify for the property rates rebates.

The City has proposed rebates for different pensioner categories, which would provide huge relief to property owners once the draft policy has been approved and implemented. Some of these benefits include:

• The first R200 000 of the value of all residential property is exempted from rating.

• A 100 per cent rebate for pensioner owners whose gross monthly household income is lower than R8 745 and with property value not more than R2 million.

• A 50 per cent rebate for pensioner owners whose gross monthly income is higher than R8 234 but lower than R14 991, in a property value not more than R2 million.

• Pensioners who are 70 years old and above who own a house worth R2 million or less receive 100 per cent rebate.

• Pensioners on the City’s Expanded Social Package who reside in a property of not more than R2 million are entitled to a 100 per cent rebate.

• People who are not pensioners but are on the City’s Expanded Social Package, with the value of their homes not exceeding R450 000, can qualify for a 100 per cent rebate.

• Properties owned by organisations in terms of the Housing Development Schemes For Retired Persons Act qualify for a 50 per cent rebate.

• People who are on pension because of disability and whose gross monthly income is lower than R8 736 and their property value does not exceed R2 million qualify for a 100 per cent rebate.

• Child-headed households with property value not exceeding R2 million receive a 100 per cent rebate.

• The rebate for non-pensioners is granted based on the poverty index band they fall in.

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