Check if you can get $3,600 in budget concessions and savings

Topic: Budget

The WA government gave $100 to people with a driver's license to help with living costs.

Some WA families can get thousands of dollars from this year's budget to help with living costs.

The WA government set aside over $1 billion for relief packages, including $200 million for a $100 fuel payment for all drivers.

Some groups think the measures are good, but they only help a little with the rising cost of living.

Anglicare WA's CEO, Mark Glasson, is worried that not enough is being done to help those in need.

Mark Glasson said more could be done for those who need it most.

The word 'poverty' is not mentioned in the 1,300 pages of budget papers, Mark Glasson said.

The state government says its targeted approach will help those who need it most.

A family with two adults and two children could get about $3,600 in concessions and savings if they are eligible.

This figure is made up of several different payments, so let's break it down.

How much will I benefit from?

The $3,600 figure includes a $250 payment for high school students' expenses and $150 for primary school students.

It also includes savings from free public transport for students, which is about $560 per year.

Public transport prices will be capped, and it will be free for school students.

Other commuters can take public transport for a flat fee of $2.80 or $3.50.

The relief total includes $270 in fuel savings for one driver through the fuel excise.

All West Australians with a driver's license can claim a one-off $100 fuel payment via the ServiceWA app.

Even with a big surplus, the WA government can't deliver certainty to its population.

The measures only add up to $2,155, so what about the rest?

The rest of the relief measures are for households that need it most.

Children on concession cards can get a $300 voucher for sports registration fees.

Concession card holders can get energy assistance payments of $377, and an extra $397 if they have a dependent child.

For a family of two adults and two children, the total savings could be $3633 per year.

What are the other relief measures?

About $14 million is going towards a new 'gold card' for foster carers and grand carers.

Another $30 million is going towards increasing support for grand carers and lifting subsidies for carers.

Rita Saffioti delivered her third budget as WA Treasurer.

Support payments will continue for renters at risk of eviction.

The WA Rent Relief Program offers one-off payments of up to $5,000 per household.

What will the budget do to inflation?

The state budget includes huge spends on infrastructure and long-term investments, including $9.1 billion for health and $4.7 billion for housing.

The WA government delivered a big-spending budget focused on housing, health, and cost of living relief.

The housing measures include more concessions on stamp duty for first-home buyers.

Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre director Alan Duncan said the spending could drive up inflation in the short-term.

We need to expand our infrastructure to match population growth, Alan Duncan said.

In the longer term, this could contribute to improved rental positions as more housing supply comes on the market.

However, the immediate relief measures for struggling households may be inadequate.

Alan Duncan said an increase in inflation may be a necessary evil of the budget.

If I had to pick something where I think we're underdone, it would be the degree of targeted support, Professor Duncan said.

I think there may have been attempts to balance the need for medium and longer-term investment in productive capacity.

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