Yahoo Lifestyle Loophole allows Aussies to claim multiple $300 energy rebates
Some Aussie homeowners will be able to receive $600 or more in power bill relief, with the rebates applied automatically to households.
Aussies who own multiple properties may be able to claim more than one $300 energy rebate. But they’ll need to have their name on the bills.
The $3.5 billion cost-of-living measure announced in the federal budget will be paid to more than 10 million households and around one million small businesses from July 1. The rebate will go straight into people’s bills, with $75 installments to be paid to all households regardless of their income.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the energy bill relief will go to the person whose name is on the bill. It’s understood landlords with tenants won’t get the rebate twice if their tenant’s name is on the bill. Instead it will go to the tenant. But if someone has a holiday home they don’t rent out, they would pocket a rebate for this home too.
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The government has defended its decision to give the energy rebate to all households, with Chalmers explaining that energy retailers were unable to identify people by income.
"The [tax office] has tax information, but they have no arrangements to share that with energy retailers," he told the National Press Club.
"We would have to change fundamentally the data-sharing arrangements, that would take time and money in order to do that."
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Chalmers said the “most efficient way” to give cost-of-living relief to people on low incomes as well as middle incomes was to provide it to every household.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was questioned by Today’s Karl Stefanovic on whether wealthy Aussies with multiple homes - including billionaires like Gina Rinehart - would receive multiple discounts.
While the Prime Minister didn’t give a direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ at the time, he said: “Every household will benefit from our energy price relief plan … What we're doing is making sure that we provide support across the board in a broad way.”
Stefanovic said it was “not going to sit well with some people that old mate up the road or [someone like] Gina who has got maybe ten houses, gets ten lots of it”.
The $300 energy bill rebate announced in the federal budget is nothing more than an Albanese stunt which proves how out of touch the government really is.
It will do little to ease the cost-of-living pressures for ordinary Australians. It should be means tested so it goes to…— Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) May 15, 2024
Billionaire Clive Palmer is among those who think the energy rebate should be means tested and has argued it will “do little to ease the cost-of-living pressures” faced by ordinary Aussies.
“It should be means tested so it goes to people who really need it, and increased so it makes a meaningful difference,” he said on X. “If it was done properly and means tested, more could go to the families who need it most.”
Other cost-of-living measures announced in the Federal Budget included a 10 per cent increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance, changes to Jobseeker eligibility criteria and a freeze to the maximum cost of medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
- With NCA NewsWire
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