[Ken Bakon]

Hey,
Finally got an answer to my 5 question, which were:
1. Are we free to add certain information such as our Council banner, rate account number and information regarding the additional rebate this Council provides to all eligible pensioners?
2. Can we eliminate the reference to a rebate on water charges, as we are not the authority for those charges? (I don’t believe any Sydney Council is).
3. Can you clarify the need for all eligible pensioners on the property to complete an individual form, even if it is a “spouse” relationship?
4. There is only one area on the form for a signature now. And this one area also states that the pensioner gives Council consent. If a pensioner wants a rebate, but does not want to give consent (we do have some who apply annually but don’t want to give consent), are we to delete the paragraphs relating to consent?
5. Are we obliged to include all the foreign languages information? Or include other pertinent foreign languages?

AND they answered:
Dear Mr Bakon

Thank you for your email of 10 January 2018 about the new pensioner application form.

The Office of Local Government updated the pensioner concession forms, as well as developing new verbal and electronic forms for councils. A number of councils and Centrelink were instrumental in this process. Further feedback from councils has been received in relation to the new forms that were distributed in December 2017.

The additional feedback and questions have been helpful and the Office of Local Government is incorporating that into the forms. Revised application forms will be distributed in the near future and councils will be notified.

Thank you once again for feedback.

Nothing like giving specific answers to specific questions eh!