National pensioner rebates and concessions
Although U3A is primarily a learning co-operative for people in the third age, we think there is nothing wrong in exchanging information amongst ourselves about rebates and discounts available to senior citizens.
Each City Group may be able able to identify privileges available to senior citizens in its city.
In this section we give information on privileges available to pensioners from national organisations. Some of these are state or parastatal, and some of them are commercial. The savings we've identified so far in this section, assuming that you watch TV, have a Post Box and a phone and don't have a big income, are R561 per year. This is about 20 times the cost of your annual U3A membership fee.
Who says that being a member of U3A isn't good value??
If you are 60 or over, your annual membership of the AA will be R 340, (called "AA Alliance" membership for pensioners) instead of the full membership fee of R 529. That's worth R 189 per year. The procedure is to provide them with proof of your age such as an ID document, either by calling at an AA office or simply advising them over the phone. They can check your ID number and they'll apply the reduction.
DION
Nu Metro gives Senior Citizens aged 60 and over a 50 % discount on all
shows on weekdays up to and including the 5.30 one, and on Saturdays and Sundays.
Depending on which cinema you go to, this means paying R
7 not R14 or R19 not R38.
[I think these are the concessions - I'm guessing that they match the ones that
Ster Kinekor give.]
The procedure is to show your ID at the Box Office.
Dated February 2008.
The SABC gives a rebate to pensioners aged 70
and over on the annual TV Licence Fee, provided that no persons younger
than the specified age are sharing the house and
benefit from watching. The normal charge is R 225, and the rebated charge is
R 160, so the value of this concession is R 65 per year.
(We're waiting for final confirmation of the qualifications.)
The procedure is to get an affidavit (your bank will probably do this) affirming who stays in your house, and mail it with a copy of your ID and a note giving your account number and asking for the concession, to Private Bag X60, Auckland Park 2006, Freepost JHZ153K. Or you can fax them on 011 330 9560/1.
SA Post Office Box Rental
The Post Office defines a pensioner as someone over 60. A pensioner holding a Postbank account gets the full concession. This is bigger than for someone who does not hold a Postbank account. However, you only get a concession if you earn less than R 10 000 per year. The full concession is 50% of the normal box rental charge. The normal charge is R 225, so the value of this concession is R 112 per year.
The procedure is to go into your local Post Office with your ID and proof of
earnings 'that is, a pension reference number'. We're not sure what one of these
is, but if you have one then you'll know.
[Source - Mike Olien of SAP as reported in the Sandton Chronicle w/e 27 Jan
2005. We suggest that you don't get your hopes up by the fact that the official
pamphlet describing this, 'Renew your Post Box', says you qualify if you earn
">R1000 per year".]
Ster Kinekor
Ster Kinekor gives Senior Citizens aged 60 and over a 50 % discount on all shows on weekdays up to and including the 5.30 one, and on Saturdays and Sundays. Depending on which cinema you go to, this means paying R 7 not R14 or R19 not R38.
Ther procedure is to go to a cinema, produce your ID and ask for a Sixty Plus card.
Telkom Line Rental Charges
Telkom gives pensioners aged 70 and over a 1/3 reduction on the line rental charge. The result will depend on what your bill says - what appears on mine and what the lady in the Customer Service Centre said are different. Using the figures on my invoice, the rental is R 93.98 excl. VAT. So the value of this concession or rebate should be [rental times rebate plus VAT] (R 93.98 * 0.3*1.14 =) R 32. This applies every month so the annual value is (32*12) R 384 per year.
The procedure is to look up your nearest Telkom Customer Service Centre in the front pages of your telephone directory, pay them a visit, produce your ID and ask for the concession.
We've missed some?
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