Concession Cards – Are you eligible?
There are many types of concession cards that can benefit you to help reduce daily ongoing costs.
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is available for you if you have reached Age Pension age but do not qualify for a Centrelink or DVA pension. Provided that your taxable income is below $50,000 pa for a single or $80,000 pa combined for a couple, you may be eligible. No asset test applies.
The Health Care card is available if you are in receipt of a pension entitlement or have a low income.
The Pensioner Concession Card is provided when you receive a pension or certain payments from Centrelink. The benefits and various concessions include:
• Bulk billing for doctor’s appointments (this is your doctor’s decision)
• Reduced cost to medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
• More refunds for medical expenses through the Medicare Safety Net
• Assistance with hearing services through the Office of Hearing Services
• Discounted mail redirection through Australia Post
You may also be entitled to various concessions from State and Territory Governments and local councils—these could include:
• Reductions on property and water rates
• Reductions on energy bills
• Telephone allowance
• Reduced fares on public transport
• Reductions on motor vehicle registration
• Free rail journeys
Note: Pensioner Concession Card concessions are different in each State and Territory and vary between local councils.
The Seniors Card is a Victorian Government initiative to encourage people who have retired or working part time to continue to engage with the community. This concession card is not income or asset based.
To be eligible for a Victorian Seniors Card, you must be:
• 60 years of age or over
• Retired or working less than 35 hours per week in paid employment
• A permanent resident of Victoria
You are not eligible if:
• You are an interstate or overseas visitor
• On long service, recreational or sick leave from paid employment
We all love a saving! If you require assistance in applying for any of these concession please contact our office for a review of your financial situation.