Many households throughout Cape Town struggle to pay for services and rates. With the 2008/2009 budget, the City has therefore improved the amount of help for those who are too poor to pay.

What must I do to benefit?
You need to register as an indigent person. Telephone the call centre on 0860 103 089 or go to any City of Cape Town office to register. You must re-register every year.

Who qualifies as an indigent person?

• Your property must be a residential one
• You must be the registered owner of the property
• Your total gross household income must not be more than R2 880 per month
• You must not own more than one property
• You are an occupier of a child-headed household registered in the name of your deceased parent/s

How do I benefit as an indigent person?

• Receive 100% rebate on rates
• Free refuse or subsidised waste collection for all residential
• properties valued at less than R300 000
• R30 a month subsidy on water and other municipal charges
• Households registered as indigent and houses valued up to R199 000 except electricity
• A once-off ‘write-off’ of all your arrears if registered as indigent and if you are 60 years and older or in receipt of a disability grant/pension or an occupier of a child headed household

Help for everyone
Even if you do not qualify for indigency benefits, the City still offers relief for other vulnerable people.

• 100% rates rebate for senior citizens and disabled people with a gross monthly household income of R2 880 or less ­ up from last year’s R1 740 cut-off.
• 6 000 litres of water free each month for all households
• 50 kWh free electricity for households that consume electricity less than 400kWh/month on average
• First R88 000 of all residential properties exempt from property rates
• Special rates, refuse removal, water and sanitation rebates to accredited shelters for homeless people
• Upper limit for rates rebates to the disabled and elderly up to a figure of R7 000 per month from all sources
• Retirement schemes and life-rights schemes now pay only the residential rate, not the commercial rate.