Use this guide alongside the official service
Read the steps here first and keep the relevant documents or questions ready. Outside websites open in a new tab, so this guide stays here. To continue, return to the Pension Path tab or close the new tab.
If online steps are difficult, find phone, paper or in-person help.
Four main card types
- Pensioner Concession Card: generally provided with eligible payments such as Age Pension. It helps with eligible medicines and certain health costs; local concessions still have their own rules.
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card: a separate claim for eligible people who do not receive income support. Services Australia's route requires Age Pension age and other conditions. Its income test includes adjusted taxable income and relevant deemed income streams, with no assets test.
- Low Income Health Care Card: available to eligible low-income people, including some below pension age. It has no assets test, but the claim/renewal income test examines gross income over the preceding eight weeks. It is not the CSHC annual-income test.
- State or territory Seniors Card: a separate scheme with local age, residence and paid-work rules. Some business-discount cards do not provide the same government concessions.
Veterans have separate conditions
DVA's Commonwealth Seniors Health Card includes qualifying veterans and certain war widow(er)s from age 60, while other partner categories generally need Age Pension age. Payment exclusions and DVA conditions apply.
Do not assume a Services Australia rule or a concession list covers every DVA card. Check the issuing agency and exact card accepted by the provider.
Check a benefit before relying on it
A CSHC is not a universal substitute for PCC. For example, CSHC alone does not qualify you for the Hearing Services Program voucher route, and state energy/dental rules differ.
A card does not require every doctor to bulk bill. Register it with relevant providers and ask about remaining costs. Being listed on another person's card may not establish individual eligibility for every service.
Your next steps
- Identify your exact card, issuer and validity.
- If pension is unavailable, check CSHC and LIHCC separately rather than assuming both are unavailable.
- Open your state page for Seniors Card and local scheme rules.
- Ask Centrelink, DVA or the provider for assistance if your card or eligibility is unclear.
Your next-step checklist
For your own notes. Ticks do not submit a claim or notify an agency.
Print or write down your steps if you prefer.
Official sources for this page
Guidance reviewed 5 October 2026. Source checks and content reviews are different: a successful download does not confirm that every rule is unchanged.
- Loans and concession cards when you retire (opens in a new tab)Services Australia · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- Benefits of a Pensioner Concession Card (opens in a new tab)Services Australia · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- Who can get a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (opens in a new tab)Services Australia · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- Income test for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (opens in a new tab)Services Australia · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- Who can get a Low Income Health Care Card (opens in a new tab)Services Australia · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- Income test for Low Income Health Care Card (opens in a new tab)Services Australia · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- DVA Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (opens in a new tab)Department of Veterans' Affairs · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
- Hearing Services Program eligibility (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Department of Health · Content checked 5 October 2026Automated retrieval 5 October 2026. This is not an editorial review.
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