Pensioner Concession Card

Purpose of Card

The Pensioner Concession Card assists pensioners and selected benefit recipients with certain living costs by allowing access to specific goods and services at a concessional rate.

Qualification

The Pensioner Concession Card is automatically issued to:

  • all social security pensioners - Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Wife Pension, Widow B Pension, Bereavement Allowance, Parenting Payment (single), and Carer Payment;
  • Department of Veterans' Affairs service pensioners and war widows receiving an income support supplement;
  • recipients of Newstart Allowance, Partner Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Widow Allowance, Special Benefit and Parenting Payment (partnered) who are aged 60 years or over and have been in continuous receipt of payment for at least 9 months;
  • recipients of Parenting Payment (partnered) with a partial capacity to work;
  • recipients of Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance (jobseeker) who have a partial capacity to work or who are the single principal carer of a dependent child; and
  • participants of the Pension Loans Scheme who are qualified to receive a part-rate pension and certain Community Development Employment Project participants.

Concessions

Pensioner Concession Card holders and their dependants may receive the following concessions:

  • medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) at the concessional rate and once they reach the PBS safety net, will usually* be supplied with further PBS prescriptions without charge for the remainder of the calendar year;
  • bulk-billed GP appointments (at the discretion of the doctor);
  • reduced out-of-hospital medical expenses above a concessional threshold of the Extended Medicare Safety Net.
  • free hearing assessments and hearing rehabilitation, including the supply and fitting of free hearing aids from a range of service providers; and
  • low-cost maintenance of hearing aids and a regular supply of batteries.
  • discounts on certain services provided by Australia Post.

*There are certain instances where this does not apply. Please refer to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme website for more information.

State / territory and local governments and some private providers may offer some additional health, household, transport, education and recreation concessions to Pensioner Concession Card holders.

In most states and territories cardholders get at least one free rail journey a year within the state or territory of residence.

Further information

For further information about the Pensioner Concession Card please contact Centrelink on 13 2300 or visit the Pensioner Concession Card section of the Services Australia website.

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