City of Joburg wants more pensioners to benefit from new pension rebates

The City of Joburg wants to increase the number of pensioners who are benefiting from the rebates on their residential properties. City spokesperson Kgamanyane Maphologela said, “The City has received calls from senior citizens who are not coping with the current economic hardships, and were appealing to the City for some relief on their property rates.

“A lot of appeals we receive are from pensioners, who have worked so hard over the years and have invested in their homes. Now, because they have retired, they are pleading with the City to intervene and lessen the burden of the rising costs.”

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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 rates
• A 100 per cent rebate for pensioner owners whose gross monthly household income is lower than R8 745 and with a 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, and with a property value of not more than R2 million
• Pensioners who are 70 years and older who own a house worth R2 million or less receive a 100 per cent rebate
• Pensioners on the City’s Expanded Social Package who reside on a property valued at 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 00 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 whose gross monthly income is lower than R8 736 and their property value not exceeding R2 million, qualify for a 100 per cent rebate
• Child-headed households with the 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 within.

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