Pensioner Concession Card: What It Is and What You Get
The Pensioner Concession Card is issued automatically with qualifying Centrelink and DVA payments. What it gives you, from PBS savings to state concessions.
By Timothy Hirou GaschereauPublished 9 min read
The Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is a government-issued card that proves you are entitled to a range of health and cost-of-living concessions. The best part: you do not apply for it. Services Australia (or DVA, for veterans) issues it automatically when you start receiving a qualifying payment.
Here is exactly what the card gives you, who gets it, how it differs from the other two concession cards, and what happens if your payment stops. General information only, benefits vary by state, and rules change, so confirm with Services Australia.
🎯 The essential: The PCC is posted to you automatically with qualifying Centrelink/DVA payments (Age Pension, DSP, Carer Payment, Parenting Payment single and others), so there is no separate application. Federally it gives $7.70 PBS scripts (vs $25), a much lower Medicare safety net threshold, and a bigger GP bulk-billing incentive. On top of that, states and territories add concessions on car rego, transport, council rates and energy bills (these vary by state). It is the most generous of the three concession cards.
What the Pensioner Concession Card is
The PCC is issued by Services Australia for most recipients, and by the Department of Veterans' Affairs for veterans on qualifying payments. It shows your name, Customer Reference Number and an expiry date (both the older plastic style and the newer laminated card are valid).
The key thing: you do not apply for the PCC separately. You get it because you receive a qualifying payment, and it arrives in the post automatically. If your payment is approved and the card has not turned up after a few weeks, call Services Australia on 132 300.
Who gets it automatically
Receive any of these and the PCC comes to you, no form required:
- Age Pension
- Disability Support Pension
- Carer Payment
- Parenting Payment (single)
- JobSeeker in limited cases (aged 55+, on payment 9+ continuous weeks and meeting conditions)
- DVA payments: Service Pension, Income Support Supplement and Veteran Payment
What the card gives you
Benefits fall into two buckets: federal (Australia-wide) and state/territory (varies).
Federal benefits:
- Cheaper PBS scripts: $7.70 each (frozen until 2029) versus $25 for general patients, and free PBS medicines once you hit the $277.20 Safety Net for the year.
- Lower Extended Medicare Safety Net threshold: $861.20 in 2026 versus $2,699.10 for general patients, after which Medicare covers 80% of further out-of-pocket costs for eligible out-of-hospital services.
- Bigger bulk-billing incentive: since November 2023 the incentive GPs receive for bulk-billing concession card holders was tripled, so more practices are financially encouraged to bulk bill you.
State and territory concessions (vary by state): car registration discounts, cheaper or free public transport, council rate reductions, energy and water bill concessions, and sometimes motor vehicle stamp duty concessions. Because these differ everywhere, the best check is the Services Australia Concession Finder or your state government. For energy specifically, see our guide to energy rebates and concessions by state.
PCC vs the other concession cards
Services Australia issues three main concession cards. The PCC is the most comprehensive; the others are the Low Income Health Care Card and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card:
| Card | Who it is for | Income test | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pensioner Concession Card | People on a qualifying pension/payment | No separate test (payment decides it) | Issued automatically |
| Low Income Health Care Card | Low-income earners not on a pension | Yes, income tested | Apply via myGov/Centrelink |
| Commonwealth Seniors Health Card | Self-funded retirees over Age Pension age | Yes, on adjusted taxable + deemed income | Apply via myGov/Centrelink |
More detail in our guides to the Low Income Health Care Card and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
What happens if your payment stops
Your card is tied to your qualifying payment. If the payment is suspended, the card is usually suspended too and reinstated when the payment resumes. If the payment is cancelled, the card is cancelled and you would need to requalify.
A genuinely good rule worth knowing: if you are on the Age Pension and go back to work, the Work Bonus lets you earn up to $300 a fortnight without it counting under the income test (unused amounts accumulate to $11,800). And if your Age Pension reduces to nil because of employment income, you may keep your PCC for up to two years under the continuation rules, a real reward for returning to work. DVA applies similar rules for veterans.
Using and keeping your card
- Show the card to claim concessions (at the pharmacy, when registering your car). They are usually not applied automatically; you have to present it.
- Keep your address current in myGov or on 132 300, or a replacement card may not reach you.
- Lost or damaged? Request a free replacement from Services Australia.
- The expiry renews automatically as long as you stay eligible; you do not need to do anything.
- Register for the Medicare Safety Net via myGov so your out-of-pocket costs are tracked toward the threshold.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Do I need to apply for the Pensioner Concession Card?
+
No. If you receive a qualifying Centrelink or DVA payment (Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and others), Services Australia or DVA posts the card to you automatically. There is no separate application. If your payment is approved and the card has not arrived within a few weeks, call Services Australia on 132 300.
What is the PBS concessional co-payment for PCC holders?
+
$7.70 per PBS prescription, frozen until 2029, versus $25.00 for general patients from 1 January 2026. Once your household's concessional co-payments reach the PBS Safety Net threshold ($277.20 in a calendar year), your PBS medicines are free for the rest of that year.
Does the Pensioner Concession Card give me free public transport?
+
It depends where you live. Some states and territories offer free or heavily discounted transport for PCC holders, others a smaller reduction. This is a state concession, not federal, so there is no single national answer. Use the Services Australia Concession Finder or your state transport authority to check.
What is the difference between the PCC and the Low Income Health Care Card?
+
The PCC is issued automatically to people on qualifying pensions and comes with the broadest state and territory concessions. The Low Income Health Care Card is for low-income earners not on a pension, needs a separate income-tested application, and generally has fewer state concessions. Both give the $7.70 PBS rate and the lower Medicare safety net threshold.
Can I keep my card if I go back to work?
+
Possibly, for a period. If you are on the Age Pension and it reduces to nil because of employment income, you may keep the PCC for up to two years under the continuation rules. The Work Bonus also lets you earn up to $300 a fortnight without it counting under the income test (unused amounts build up to $11,800). Confirm current rules with Services Australia.
My payment was cancelled. What happens to my card?
+
If your qualifying payment is cancelled (not just suspended), your PCC entitlement generally ends at the same time and the card stops being valid for concessions. If the payment is later reinstated, the card should be too. Contact Services Australia or DVA if you think it was cancelled in error.
Keep reading
The bottom line
If you are on a qualifying pension, the Pensioner Concession Card is quietly one of the most valuable things in your wallet: cheaper medicines, an earlier Medicare safety net and a stack of state concessions, all without lifting a finger to apply. The one job that is on you is to actually use it, so present it every time and check the Concession Finder for what your state offers.
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Sources
This article is general information only, not financial or social security advice. Concession card benefits vary by state and territory and rules change. Check Services Australia or DVA for current eligibility and entitlements.
Was this article useful?
General information only. This article is educational and does not constitute personal financial advice. It does not account for your circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a licensed adviser before acting. Read our full disclaimer.
Timothy Hirou Gaschereau
Founder of Snowball Invest, not a financial adviser.
I write about what I'm learning myself, because nobody ever taught us how to take control of our own money. It's a skill, not a mystery, and it's never too late to learn it. The best day to start was yesterday, the second best is today.
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