Grey Power Federation Press Release Nov. 4th, 20ll

Rates Rebate Eligibility For Retirement Village Residents

Announcement By Labour Welcomed By Grey Power

The announcement by Labour that retirement home residents will be eligible for the Government Rates Rebate scheme as a plank of their Election policy is welcomed by Grey Power.

“The exclusion of retirement home residents who have Licences To Occupy as the basis of their residency at retirement villages rather than a formal title from the Rates Rebate Scheme is an anomaly that Grey Power has been campaigning for some time to get removed’, said Mr Roy Reid, President of Grey Power New Zealand. “The fact that residents’ rate bills were paid in bulk by the village owners and they were shut out from the Rates Rebate scheme through the technicality that their names did not appear on the local Council Rating schedule was just not sensible”

The announcement by Phil Twyford, Labour Housing spokesman at the Waitakere Gardens Retirement Village at Henderson in West Auckland followed representations made during a Grey Power visit to Parliament advised Mr Bill Atkinson, Grey Power Chair Retirement Village Portfolio, and Grey Power are grateful to Labour for taking this initiative.

Access to the scheme will entitle retirement village residents of up to a $580 rebate on rates paid according to a formula based on the amount of the rates and their incomes.

Both the Dept of Internal Affairs who administer the scheme for the Government and local Council have expressed concerns that many people who are eligible for the rebate do not apply and are actively promoting awareness of the scheme and easier access to it for rate payers.

Auckland Council’s Mayor Len Brown in particular is concerned at the low level of uptake and Grey Power in Auckland are working with the Auckland Council to ensure that the maximum number of older people entitled to the rebate receive it.

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