Centrelink provides several types of concession cards that can be used to reduce medical and pharmaceutical costs and, in some cases, provide other discounts.
The different cards available from Centrelink are:
- Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)
- Health Care Card – automatic issue (HCC)
- Low Income Health Care Card (LIHCC)
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)
What types of concessions are available?
The concessions provided by each card vary but can be broadly categorised into the following two groups:
1. Federal Government concessions
These include bulk-billed medical appointments (at the provider’s discretion), cheaper medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and lower thresholds before the PBS and/or Medicare safety net applies. These concessions are available for all the above cards.
2. State/Territory/Local Government and private business concessions
Discounts provided by a state, territory and local Government (state-based level) are contingent on the type of concession card held and the cardholder’s location. Concessions from private businesses might also be available.
State-based and private business concessions may include:
- discounts on local council rates,
- health services (e.g. dental, optical, home care, hearing services),
- education (e.g. school fee relief, training programs),
- transport (e.g. car registration, driver’s licence fees, public transport fares, taxi fares),
- and utilities (e.g. electricity, gas and water rates).
The concessions available to HCC, LIHCC and CSHC holders are fewer than those available to their PCC-holder counterparts.
Pensioner Concession Card
The PCC is the ‘premier’ card, providing the widest range of concessions. However, it’s generally only available for people who receive a Centrelink pension (e.g. Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment).
If you receive a qualifying Centrelink pension, the PCC will be automatically granted.
Health Care Card
The HCC is available to people who receive a Centrelink allowance (such as JobSeeker Payment).
If you receive a qualifying allowance, the HCC will be automatically granted.
Low Income Health Care Card
A person who qualifies as a low-income earner can also apply for the HCC. This version of the HCC is known as the Low Income Health Care Card (LIHCC).
Eligibility is based on average weekly income for the eight weeks before applying for the card. To receive the card, this income must be less than the relevant thresholds. Income is largely the same as that used to assess Centrelink pensions.
For members of a couple, the combined income of the couple is assessed. The following thresholds are effective from March 20, 2024, until September 19, 2024.
| Family situation | Per week | Total income over the eight-week assessment period |
| Single, no children | $769 | $6,152 |
| Single with one dependent child | $1,315 | $10,520 |
| Couple combined, no children | $1,315 | $10,520 |
| For each additional dependent child | $34.00 | $272 |
No assets test applies.
A claim for the LIHCC can be lodged via Centrelink online (accessed through myGov) or by completing the Claim for a Health Care Card form (SS050) (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/ss050#:~:text=Claim%20for%20a%20Health%20Care%20Card%20form%20%28SS050%29,the%20Claim%20for%20a%20Health%20Care%20Card%20form.).
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) is available for self-funded retirees who have income below a certain level and have reached Age Pension age but do not receive Centrelink benefits.
To qualify for the CSHC, a person must:
- be an Australian resident or a special category visa holder residing in Australia,
- be in Australia on the day of the CSHC claim,
- not be subject to a Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting period,
- provide their tax file number (or an exemption if relevant),
- have reached Age Pension age,
- meet the annual income test, and
- not be receiving a Centrelink or DVA pension or income support payment.
There is no assets test for the CHSC.
To be eligible for the CHSC, annual income must not exceed the thresholds shown in the following table. The thresholds increase on September 20 every year.
Income for the CHSC refers to adjusted taxable income plus deemed income from account-based pensions (ABPs) where the owner is age 60 or over (unless the ABP is a pre-January 1, 2015, grandfathered ABP for this purpose). Adjusted taxable income consists of taxable income plus a few other bits and pieces (e.g. reportable super contributions, net investment losses, some fringe benefits and some foreign income).
For couples, combined income is used.
The income test for the CSHC is based on the applicant’s ATI for the reference tax year. The reference tax year is usually the tax year immediately before the current tax year in which the individual is applying.
The following thresholds are effective from September 20, 2023, until September 19, 2024:
| Status | Income (p.a.) |
| Single | $95,400 |
| Couple (combined) | $152,640 |
| Illness separated couple (combined) | $190,800 |
| For each additional child, add | $639.60 |
Claims for the CSHC can be made by:
- lodging online via Centrelink online (accessed in MyGov),
- calling the Centrelink older Australians line (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/phone-us?context=26266#olderaustralians) on 132 300,
- printing and completing the Claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card form (SA296) (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sa296), or
- printing and completing a Re-claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card form (SA296A) (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sa296a) if the individual held a CSHC in the previous 26 weeks