George Municipality Focus On

GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality has an indigent support programme that helps needy people to access basic municipal services in its municipal area.

General information

• You must update your registration when your circumstances change and/or if you haven’t done so in the past three years.

• It is very important that the indigents office has your correct cellphone number. If it changes, please let them know.

• Once you have registered as an indigent, the subsidy will be applied to your municipal account and electricity tokens uploaded to your prepaid number every month.

• You must pay for any extra water and electricity you use beyond that provided in the indigent support.

• If your house is worth more than R150 000, you will be billed for property tax.

You can apply for indigent support if you are:

• The registered owner of the residential property or married to such an owner.

• The occupier of the residential property or married to such an occupier (the main person living there).

• A backyard dweller or spouse of such a dweller (no more than two backyard structures on the property).

• A pensioner (drawing a pension after retirement).

• A guardian of minors (one or more children under the age of 18).

• A retirement centre or old-age home.

• A centre for the disabled and/or physically challenged.

• A place of public worship in an indigent community.

• A registered crèche.

To qualify for the programme, you must:

• Be a South African citizen with a valid identification document.

• Have a total household income of less than R4 000 a month.

• Be a registered owner, occupier or backyard dweller on a property used for residential purposes.

• Must be a fulltime occupant (live there permanently).

• Not own more than one property.

• Be a centre or institution that cares for the disabled and/or physically challenged and where more than 50% of the membership (disabled persons) are registered as indigent.

• Be a place of public worship, categorised as such on the municipality’s valuation roll, in a poor community with more than 50% of its congregation registered as indigent.

• Be a crèche registered with the national Department of Social Development (DSD), Sassa and the municipality’s Community Development section, and with more than 50% of the membership (parents of registered children at the crèche) registered as indigent.

To apply, you must:

• Fill in a form at the finance hall of the municipality’s main building (access from the parking lot via Victoria or Progress streets) or at a municipal area office in your community, OR

• E-mail creditcontrol@george.gov.za or accounts@george.gov.za and ask for an indigent support application form, fill it in and send it back together with the below-mentioned documents, OR

• Click to download the form, fill it in and send it back together with the below-mentioned documents to creditcontrol@george.gov.za or accounts@george.gov.za

Bring with you/submit the following documents:

• A copy of your ID document.

• If you earn a salary, bring a salary slip that is not older than three months.

• Bank statements from the last three months.

• Your municipal account.

• A prepaid electricity token from the place where you live.

• If you are unemployed, bring an affidavit (an officially stamped letter) stating that you are currently unemployed.

• If you receive a Sassa grant, bring a letter from Sassa confirming your grant, as well as your Sassa card.

The registered indigent subsidy in the George Municipal area includes:

Urban residential properties: 6 kilolitres free water, 70kWh units free electricity, no charges for basic water, refuse removal and sewage disposal, no rates and taxes on property valued below R150 000.

Rural residential properties: 6 kilolitres water per month delivered to rainwater tanks of rural households in times of drought, and 50kWh free electricity units dispensed by Eskom to households that are connected to the Eskom supply grid.

Retirement centres and old-age homes: Indigent subsidy is credited to the monthly municipal account of the relevant property and will not exceed the total monthly municipal account.

Places of worship in indigent areas: Indigent subsidy is credited to the monthly municipal account of the relevant property and will not exceed the total monthly municipal account.

Crèches in indigent areas: Indigent subsidy is credited to the monthly municipal account of the relevant property and will not exceed the total monthly municipal account.

Centres or institutions for the disabled: Indigent subsidy is credited to the monthly municipal account of the relevant property and will not exceed the total monthly municipal account.

COVID-19

Households that have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic can inquire about financial relief at the finance hall in the municipal main building, area offices or the contact details given below.

Rebate for persons earning more than R4 000

Households not qualifying for Indigent Support because they earn more than R4 000 per month or that do not qualify because of other criteria, can apply for a percentage rebate (discount) on property rates by downloading the form, filling it in and sending it to creditcontrol@george.gov.za or accounts@george.gov.za, along with the documentation listed above.

Rebates are determined annually as part of the budget process and updated in the annual tariffs list, and are usually 40% on property rates for a household income of R0 to R7 000 and 20% on property rates for household incomes of R7 000 to R8 000.

Contact

Enquiries: Lydia Geja 044 801 9362

Heather Erasmus 044 801 9184

indigentsupport@george.gov.za

Finansiële subsidie vir deernis-mense

Die George-munisipaliteit het 'n deernis ondersteuningsprogram wat behoeftige mense help om toegang tot basiese munisipale dienste in sy munisipale gebied te kry.

Algemene inligting

• U moet u registrasie opdateer wanneer u omstandighede verander en/of as u dit nie die afgelope drie jaar gedoen het nie.

• Dit is baie belangrik dat die kantoor vir deernis-gevalle u korrekte selfoonnommer het. Laat weet hulle as dit verander.

• Sodra u as 'n deernisgeval geregistreer het, sal die subsidie op u munisipale rekening toegepas word, en ‘n elektrisiteitsstrokie word elke maand op u voorafbetaalde nommer gelaai.

• U moet betaal vir water en elektrisiteit wat u ekstra gebruik en wat nie by die ondersteuning ingesluit is nie.

• As u huis meer as R150 000 werd is, sal eiendomsbelasting wel gehef word.

U kan aansoek doen om deernis ondersteuning as u:

• Die geregistreerde eienaar van die residensiële eiendom is, of getroud is met so 'n eienaar.

• Die okkupeerder van die residensiële eiendom is, of getroud is met so 'n okkupeerder (die hoofpersoon wat daar woon).

• 'n Agterplaasbewoner of eggenoot van so 'n bewoner is (hoogstens twee agterplaasstrukture op die eiendom).

• 'n Pensioenaris (wat pensioen trek na aftrede).

• 'n Voog is van minderjariges (een of meer kinders onder die ouderdom van 18).

• 'n Aftree-sentrum of ouetehuis is.

• 'n Sentrum vir gestremdes en/of liggaamlik gestremdes is.

• 'n Plek van openbare aanbidding in 'n behoeftige gemeenskap is.

• 'n Geregistreerde kleuterskool is.

Om vir die program te kwalifiseer, moet u:

• 'n Suid-Afrikaanse burger wees met 'n geldige identiteitsdokument (ID).

• 'n Totale huishoudelike inkomste van minder as R4 000 per maand hê.

• 'n Geregistreerde eienaar, bewoner of agterplaasbewoner wees op 'n eiendom wat vir residensiële doeleindes gebruik word.

• 'n Voltydse inwoner wees (permanent daar woon).

• Nie meer as een eiendom besit nie.

• 'n Sentrum of instansie wees waar gestremdes en/of liggaamlik gestremdes versorg word, waar meer as 50% van die lidmaatskap (gestremdes) as behoeftig geregistreer is.

• 'n Plek van openbare aanbidding wees (wat as sodanig op die munisipaliteit se waardasielys gekategoriseer word), in 'n behoeftige gemeenskap waar meer as 50% van die gemeente as hulpbehoewend geregistreer is.

• 'n Kleuterskool wees wat by die nasionale Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling (DSD), Sassa en die munisipaliteit se afdeling Gemeenskapsontwikkeling geregistreer is, en waar meer as 50% van die lidmaatskap (ouers van geregistreerde kinders by die kleuterskool) as behoeftig geregistreer is.

Om aansoek te doen, moet u:

• 'n Vorm invul by die finansieringssaal van die munisipaliteit se hoofgebou (toegang vanaf parkeerterrein via Victoria- of Progressstraat) of by 'n munisipale kantoor in u gemeenskap; OF

• 'n E-pos stuur aan creditcontrol@george.gov.za of accounts@george.gov.za en vra vir 'n deernis ondersteuningsaansoekvorm, dit invul en terugstuur saam met die dokumente hieronder gelys; OF

• Kliek om die vorm af te laai, dit in vul en saam met die gelyste dokumente terugstuur na creditcontrol@george.gov.za of accounts@george.gov.za

Bring / dien die volgende dokumente saam:

• 'n Afskrif van u ID-dokument.

• As u 'n salaris verdien, moet u 'n salarisstrokie saambring wat nie ouer as drie maande is nie.

• Bankstate van die afgelope drie maande.

• U munisipale rekening.

• 'n Voorafbetaalde elektrisiteitsbewys vir die plek waar u woon.

• As u werkloos is, bring dan 'n beëdigde verklaring ('n gestempelde brief) wat konstateer dat u tans werkloos is.

• As u 'n Sassa-toelaag ontvang, moet u 'n brief van Sassa saambring wat u toelae sowel as u Sassa-kaart bevestig.

Die geregistreerde deernis subsidie in die George Munisipale omgewing sluit in:

Stedelike residensiële eiendomme: 6 kiloliter gratis water, 70 kWh eenhede gratis elektrisiteit, geen koste vir basiese water nie, vullisverwydering en rioolverwydering, geen tariewe en belasting op eiendom ter waarde van minder as R150 000 nie.

Landelike residensiële eiendomme: 6 kiloliter water per maand gelewer aan reënwatertenks van landelike huishoudings in droogtetye en 50 kWh gratis elektrisiteitseenhede wat deur Eskom uitgegee word aan huishoudings wat aan die Eskom-verskaffingsnetwerk gekoppel is.

Aftreeoorde en ouetehuise: Deernis subsidie word gekrediteer op die maandelikse munisipale rekening van die betrokke eiendom en sal nie die totale maandelikse munisipale rekening oorskry nie.

Plekke vir aanbidding in behoeftige gebiede: Deernis subsidie word gekrediteer op die maandelikse munisipale rekening van die betrokke eiendom en sal nie die totale maandelikse munisipale rekening oorskry nie.

Crèches in behoeftige gebiede: Subsidie vir hulpbehoewendes word gekrediteer op die maandelikse munisipale rekening van die betrokke eiendom en sal nie die totale maandelikse munisipale rekening oorskry nie.

Sentrums of instansies vir gestremdes: Hulpbehoewende subsidie word gekrediteer op die maandelikse munisipale rekening van die betrokke eiendom en sal nie die totale maandelikse munisipale rekening oorskry nie.

COVID-19

Huishoudings wat negatief deur die Covid-19-pandemie geraak is, kan navraag doen oor finansiële verligting by die finansieringssaal in die munisipaliteit se hoofgebou, areakantore of by die kontakbesonderhede hieronder verskaf.

Korting vir persone wat meer as R4 000 Verdien

Huishoudings wat nie in aanmerking kom vir behoeftige ondersteuning nie omdat hulle meer as R4 000 per maand verdien of wat weens ander kriteria nie kwalifiseer nie, kan aansoek doen om 'n persentasie korting (afslag) op eiendomsbelasting. Laai die vorm af by george.gov.za, vul dit in en stuur dit aan kredietbeheer by accounts@george.gov.za saam met die dokumentasie hierbo gelys.

Kortings word jaarliks as deel van die begrotingsproses bepaal en in die jaarlikse tarieflys opgedateer. Dit beloop gewoonlik 40% op eiendomsbelasting vir 'n huishoudelike inkomste van R0-tot R7 000, en 20% op eiendomsbelasting vir huishoudelike inkomste van R7 000 tot R8 000.