With household budgets under sustained pressure from rising costs, many Victorians are not claiming concessions and rebates they are actually entitled to. The Victorian Government has responded with a free, personalised tool called Savings Finder — and it is worth five minutes of your time.
What Is the Savings Finder?
The Savings Finder is a free online tool available through Service Victoria that helps Victorians identify which government benefits, rebates and concessions they may be eligible for. It covers over 90 programs across housing, transport, energy, health, education, family support, and recreation. Answer a short set of questions — taking around two to five minutes — and receive a personalised list of savings you may qualify for. You can have your results emailed to you for future reference.
What Categories of Savings Are Available?
The range of programs is broader than most people expect. Key categories include:
- Energy and Utilities — discounts on electricity, gas and water bills, including the Victorian Default Offer and concession card rebates. See Energy and Utilities savings.
- Transport — free public transport for all Victorians under 18, concession myki fares, and vehicle registration concessions. See Transport savings.
- Health and Wellbeing — free or subsidised healthcare programs, mental health support, and dental concessions. See Health and Wellbeing savings.
- Seniors — a wide range of concessions for older Australians and pensioners. Apply for a Seniors Card or explore the Seniors savings list.
- Home — programs to help with solar installation and home upgrades, including Solar Homes rebates.
- Family — support including Free Kinder, the Camps Sports and Excursions Fund, and Get Active Kids vouchers.
- Education — assistance with school fees, uniforms and other education costs.
- Recreation and Leisure — dining and entertainment concessions.
Who Should Be Using This Tool?
Honestly, most Victorians. The tool is particularly useful for:
- Families with children, especially those with school-age kids
- Pensioners, seniors and concession card holders
- Renters and first home buyers
- Anyone who has recently experienced a change in circumstance — a new child, a redundancy, or a health issue — that may have opened up new eligibility for programs they were not previously accessing
Many clients who go through this process are surprised to find entitlements they had not claimed simply because they did not know they existed.
A Note for Business Owners
While the Savings Finder is a personal finance tool, business owners should not overlook the personal concessions available to them — particularly sole traders and small business operators with modest drawings who may qualify for household concessions that meaningfully reduce personal living costs.
The combination of lower personal costs and appropriate business structuring advice can make a real difference to overall household financial position.
How Pace Advisory Group Can Help
At Pace Advisory Group, our role extends beyond lodging tax returns. We help our clients understand their complete financial picture — personal and business — and identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve outcomes. This includes reviewing whether your personal circumstances and business structure are optimised to access all available concessions, rebates and government programs.
Book a Consultation — paceadvisory.com.au
