Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) 101-06050000

Check if the customer is paid under the Agreement with New Zealand. Go to the:

• Additional Residence Details (ARD) screen to see if New Zealand is listed
• Pensions Rate Calculation (PRC) screen to see if a NZ pension is being directly deducted. Customers who receive a NZ pension covered by the Agreement have the NZ pension directly deducted after the income and assets test
• Benefit Status line to see if the customer is Current Zero Rate (CZR). If the NZ direct deduction reduces the customer's rate to zero, they remain current and can still receive a PCC

If the customer is not paid under the Agreement with New Zealand, go to Step 2.

Customers who are paid under the New Zealand Agreement:

• qualify for PCC if they are physically located in Australia, regardless of where they are residing
• cannot be issued with a card via the system if they are paid via Environment I. In this case, issue an interim voucher based on which occurs earlier:
• the length of time they will be present in Australia, or
• a valid date of up to 3 months after the issue date
• who reside in Australia may have an additional income test. If they are not entitled under that additional income test, their PCC will be end dated. To see if a PCC has been end dated under this rule:
• go to the Concession Entitlement Summary (MCCS) screen
• check if the End Rsn field shows NZB
• see Rate calculation on the Australian payments tab in New Zealand Agreement and foreign pension information

Procedure ends here.

A data link refresh with the Department of Home Affairs may automatically populate details about the customer’s:

• residence from 1 September 1994 to date
• citizenship, and
• travel history

Once a person identifies as a customer receiving Centrelink services, the Department of Home Affairs will advise:

• any future changes to their visa subclass, or
• if they, their partner or their child leaves or returns to Australia

Is the customer currently an Australian resident?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 10

For customers who are not already receiving a PCC, when the pension is granted subject to stimulus reporting, the PCC will be issued when the:

• customer meets the reporting requirements for the first entitlement period, and
• pension is payable

Note: this only applies to customers who are not entitled to a PCC at the date of grant. If the customer is already receiving a payment that attracts the PCC, they retain entitlement to the PCC. For example, transferring from Carer Payment to Age Pension.

Once the reporting requirements are met for the first entitlement period the PCC will be issued from the date of grant of the pension.

Employment nil rate period

Customers in an employment income nil rate period or extended suspension period for pension payments will have their PCC entitlement extended.

Customers who received some pensions may continue to be qualified for their PCC even after their payment has stopped due to employment.

A person who is no longer eligible for payment because of an increase in the level of their self-employment income may also qualify for an extension concession card, based on the extension rules for their payment type.

Due to a current system problem, these self-employed customers may not be issued an extension PCC automatically by the system. In these cases, refer the situation to the Level 2 Policy Help Desk.

For residence requirements, see the References page. The customer should provide all relevant documents including their passport or entry documents within 14 days of lodging their claim.

Go to Step 4 to check if the customer is receiving specific payments.

Customers paid under the Home Equity Access Scheme who do not receive an income support payment under the normal income/asset test are not entitled to a PCC. These customers may be eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) or Low Income Health Care Card (LIC).

Does the customer receive a Disability Support Pension (DSP)?

• Yes:
• DSP customers qualify for a PCC as long as they remain Australian residents
• check the Concession Entitlement Summary (MCCS) screen for current entitlement details. The CCIS screen shows actual cards issued, not current entitlement
• procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 5

Is the customer aged over 55 and been continuously receiving either JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP), Special Benefit (SpB) or a social security pension for the preceding 39 weeks and is currently an Australian resident?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

Some customers remain qualified for a PCC for up to 2 years if their payment stops because of income from employment. See Extended entitlements to Concession Cards.

Check the MCCS screen for current entitlement details. The CCIS screen shows actual cards issued, not current entitlement.

Note: if the customer reclaims income support, their concession card eligibility will be a Health Care Card (HCC). This is because the customer will no longer meet the continuous receipt of a payment requirement.

Procedure ends here.

Is the customer receiving JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (YA) (Job Seeker (JSK) only) or Parenting Payment (PP) with a partial capacity to work as assessed in an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt)?

• Yes, customer qualifies for a PCC as long as they remain eligible for JSP, Youth Allowance (YA) (JSK only) or PP, and are an Australian resident:
• check MCCS screen for current entitlement details. CCIS screen shows actual cards issued, not current entitlement
• procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 8

Is the customer receiving JSP or YA (JSK only) and the single Principal carer of a dependent child?

• Yes, customer qualifies for a PCC while they remain eligible for JSP or YA (JSK only) as a single principal carer of a dependent child. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 9

Did the customer receive Parenting Payment Single (PPS) and lose their qualification because their youngest child turned 14 years, on or after 20 September 2023?

• Yes, the customer retains eligibility for a PCC for a period of 12 weeks from the date of cancellation. See Extended entitlement to Concession Cards. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 10

Customers who receive a loan-only payment under the Home Equity Access Scheme are not eligible for a PCC. The exception to this is for customers who had their pension cancelled (CAN/ASS) on 1 January 2017 as a direct result of changes to the pension assets test.

Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS) - PLS-only customers:

• who are grandfathered (GRF) for the grandfathering type 2017 Rebalance Assets Cards (RAC), as per the Grandfathering Summary (GFS) screen
• are automatically eligible for a:
• non-income tested CSHC from 1 January 2017, and
• non-pensioner PCC from 9 October 2017

See:

• Non-income tested (NOI) concession cards
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)
• Low Income Health Care Card (LIC)