Financial hardship, assistance and debt recovery

What if I can't afford to pay my rates?

If you're having trouble paying your rates account on time, Ku-ring-gai Council can provide hardship assistance and a personalised payment plan to help you get back on track.

The most important step is to contact us as soon as possible to discuss your options.

We can work with you to create a periodic payment arrangement that helps you pay off overdue rates while addressing future instalments in one easy plan.

Arrangements are tailored to your circumstances, capacity to pay, disposable income and payment history.

If you are facing genuine hardship, you should complete the financial hardship application form(PDF, 713KB).

We may write off accrued interest on rates and charges if you were unable to pay for reasons beyond your control or if payment of the accrued interest would cause you hardship.

If your rates increase following a land revaluation and you suffer substantial hardship, you can apply for relief. While Council won't waive or reduce the increase, we can enter into a periodic payment arrangement to assist you.

Furthermore, Council introduced a new flexible payment solution ('Payble') which enables ratepayers to easily set up and manage payment plans for both current and overdue rates based on their financial circumstances. The platform aims to make paying rates more convenient, reduce the number of overdue accounts and lower administrative costs associated with payment processing.

Pensioner concessions and assistance

If you're an eligible pensioner and own and occupy a property in Ku-ring-gai as your sole or principal place of living, you may be entitled to significant rates reductions and payment flexibility. Eligible pensioners are entitled to two types of concessions:

Statutory concession (Government rebate). You are entitled to a reduction in your rates and charges, currently prescribed by the NSW Government as a maximum of $250.
Voluntary concession (Council rebate). Council provides an additional voluntary reduction in your total rates and charges, currently 8.5%. Council voluntarily contributes these additional funds to reduce the financial burden on pensioners.

How to apply for a rebate

To claim the combined rebate, you must have a Pension Concession Card from Centrelink (or be an eligible war widow – please contact us to check).

Simply bring your card to Customer Service or complete our online application form.

Debt recovery

If outstanding rates, charges or debts are overdue and not subject to a current and compliant payment arrangement, Council may take debt recovery action.

Periodic payment arrangements may be considered for debtors facing financial hardship or extenuating circumstances.

The Local Government Act does not allow Council to write off rates and charges, except in very specific circumstances (eg. an error in the assessment).