Foster and Grand Carer Gold Card WA: Energy Rebate and Concessions

The 2026–27 WA State Budget introduced the Foster and Grand Carer Gold Card — a new concession card for eligible carers. If you're a grandparent receiving the Grandcarers Support Scheme and are the full-time primary carer, this adds a one-off $377.14 energy payment on top of the scheme.

What the Gold Card Provides

The Gold Card delivers:

• $377.14 Energy Bill Relief Payment — a one-off household payment deposited into your nominated bank account
• Further discounts and benefits — the WA Government plans to introduce more Gold Card benefits over time; the Energy Bill Relief Payment is the first benefit

The energy payment is the headline benefit. Running a household with a child costs more in electricity — heating, cooling, cooking, laundry — and this payment is designed to offset that.

Who Qualifies

The Gold Card is available to:

• Existing foster and family carers who provided care for at least 14 nights in total between 1 January and 30 June 2026; new foster and family carers are eligible during their first 26 weeks after registration
• Special Guardianship Order carers
• Grandcarers who receive the GSS payment and are the full-time primary carer for a grandchild

If you receive the GSS and are the full-time primary carer, you may qualify, provided you are not already receiving other financial support from the Department of Communities. The Gold Card is a separate registration — receiving the GSS doesn't automatically enrol you.

How to Register

Registration opened 1 July 2026 through the ServiceWA app. To receive the 2026 energy payment, eligible carers must register by 30 November 2026. You'll need:

• A verified ServiceWA account
• Your myID at Standard identity strength, linked through the ServiceWA app

The state announced a $14.5 million Gold Card program. Eligible carers who register through ServiceWA by 30 November 2026 receive the one-off $377.14 payment in their nominated bank account, within 30 days of approval.

How It Fits with Other Concessions

The Gold Card energy payment sits alongside, not instead of, other WA energy concessions. If you hold a Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card, you already receive the standard Energy Assistance Payment and Dependent Child Rebate. The Gold Card payment is additional.

For the same financial year, a grandparent carer raising one grandchild can receive:

• $1,000 GSS base payment
• $500 cost-of-living top-up (first child)
• $377.14 one-off Gold Card energy relief
• Standard pension-linked energy concessions

That's $1,877.14 in WA state support alone, before any Centrelink payments.

If You're Not Comfortable with Apps

ServiceWA is the primary registration channel, and that's a barrier for some older carers. Eligible grandcarers who need help registering can contact the WA Seniors Card Centre on 1800 671 233 or Fostering Connections on 1800 182 178.

The WA Kinship Carer Support Guide covers the Gold Card registration alongside every other WA and Centrelink payment in one walkthrough.

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