Concession Cards
Purpose
The Commonwealth Government issues the Pensioner Concession Card (PCC), Health Care Card (HCC) and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC).These are issued to provide access to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescription medicines and certain Medicare services, at a cheaper rate. Concessions for cardholders may also be provided by state and territory governments and other organisations.
Eligibility
The PCC is automatically issued to:- all social security pensioners;
- Department of Veterans' Affairs service pensioners and war widows receiving income support supplement;
- certain long-term benefit recipients aged over 60;
- Newstart and Youth Allowance (jobseeker) and Parenting Payment recipients who have a partial capacity to work or who are a single principal carer of a dependent child;
- Pension Loans Scheme participants who are qualified to receive a part-rate pension; and
- certain Community Development Employment Project participants.
The HCC is automatically issued to:
- people who do not qualify for a PCC and are receiving certain social security benefits (such as Newstart, Partner or Sickness Allowance); and
- certain social security supplementary payment recipients, such as those entitled to receive the maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A by instalment, and parents caring for children with a disability or medical condition and receiving Carer Allowance (child).
Claimable HCCs are available to low-income earners who meet a specific income test, or foster carers or others caring for a child who is not their natural or adopted child.
Claimable HCCs are also available to people aged 16-25 years who previously qualified their carer for Carer Allowance (child), are full-time students and held a HCC immediately before turning 16 years of age..
The CSHC is available to Australian seniors of age pension age (currently 65 years for men and 63 years and six months for women) who do not qualify for an income support payment like the Age Pension, but meet an adjusted taxable income test.