Portability of concession cards 061-01080000

PCCs and automatically issued HCCs are portable for up to 6 weeks from departure, subject to continuing eligibility. This includes non-income tested Pensioner Concession Cards.

If a PCC or automatically issued HCC customer returns to Australia before the end of the portability period, and entitlement has continued throughout the absence, the original card remains current and a new card is not required.

If the eligible holder of a PCC or an automatically issued HCC returns to Australia after the portability period has ended, and their associated payment is current or restored, a new PCC or HCC will be issued. The start date of the new card is the date the customer returned to Australia.

If a current PCC or automatically issued HCC customer returns to Australia and leaves again, another 6 week portability period will commence, even if the return and departure occur on the same day.

Subject to continued eligibility, EHCs, FSTs and LICs are portable for up to 6 weeks from departure for temporary absences.

If the customer returns to Australia within 6 weeks and entitlement has continued, a new card does not need to be issued. Note: for FST this refers to the foster child.

For FST, only the foster child’s temporary absence is subject to portability requirements. There is no limitation on the temporary absence of the foster carer.

If a current EHC, FST or LIC customer returns to Australia and leaves again, another 6 week portability period will commence, even if the return and departure are on the same day.

If the absence from Australia is more than 6 weeks and the FST, EHC or LIC has been cancelled, the customer must re-claim their card.

If a customer has been outside Australia for less than 6 weeks, their LIC may cancel incorrectly if the return to Australia has not been received from the Department of Home Affairs. In these cases, the LIC should be restored without requiring a new claim, if the customer contacts Services Australia within 13 weeks of the cancellation.

If a LIC or FST customer re-claims after their card has been cancelled, they must lodge a new claim by completing:

• an online claim, or
• a Claim for a Health Care Card (SS050)

If an EHC customer re-claims after their card has been cancelled, they must lodge a new claim by completing an:

• online claim, or
• Application for a health care card for former recipients of a carer allowance health care card (SS456)

CSHCs are portable for up to 19 weeks from departure for temporary absences, subject to continued eligibility.

Quarterly supplement can be paid for up to 6 weeks from the date of temporary departure if the:

• CSHC customer remains qualified, and
• test day falls within 6 weeks of the departure date. Test days are 20 March, 20 June, 20 September and 20 December

If the customer returns to Australia within 19 weeks and entitlement has continued, a new card does not need to be issued. If a current CSHC customer returns to Australia and leaves again, another 19 week portability period will commence, even if the return and departure are on the same day.

If a customer has been outside Australia for less than 19 weeks, their CSHC may cancel incorrectly if the return to Australia has not been received from the Department of Home Affairs. In these cases, the CSHC should be restored without requiring a new claim, if the customer contacts Services Australia within 13 weeks of the cancellation.

If a customer has been outside Australia for more than 19 weeks and their CSHC has cancelled, a verbal re-claim may be undertaken in certain cases.

See:

• Re-claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)
• Verbal re-claim of a non-income tested Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC-NOI)
• Note: if the customer lodges a claim within 14 days of the date of return to Australia, the CSHC date of claim will be taken as the immigration advised date of return. This includes CSHC online claims, customised claims, paper claim received by mail, uploaded online, or in office and verbal re-claims. This is for verbal re-claims only, not new claims.

Customers who do not meet the verbal re-claim criteria or who have returned to Australia and are contacting less than 26 weeks since their CSHC cancellation date must complete:

• a Re-claim for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (SA296a), or
• an online claim

Customers who re-claim after 26 weeks must complete a full new claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (SA296) or use the online claim.

If a customer leaves Australia to live in another country, their concession card is cancelled from the date they leave Australia. This applies even if the customer's payment is portable.

If either the foster child or foster carer leaves Australia to live in another country, the FST concession card is cancelled from the date either leaves Australia.

If a CSHC customer leaves Australia to live in another country, their concession card is cancelled from the date they leave Australia. Any accrued Quarterly Supplement the customer was entitled to before departing is still paid.

A customer who has stopped living in Australia will not be able to claim a concession card during any temporary returns to Australia.

Customers who were residing overseas and subsequently return to live in Australia, may be eligible for a concession card to be issued when they return.

For all pensioner customers, see Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for pension payments.

For non-pensioner customers and card holders, see Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for non-pension payments and cards.

The Department of Home Affairs generally advises when a customer or child leaves or returns to Australia. The Centrelink system uses the information to assess the portability of payments and concession cards. The assessment will happen regardless of whether the customer has told Services Australia their travel details. Note: do not cancel Department of Home Affairs datalink activities.

Where the customer gives evidence they travelled on different dates, the agency should consider using those different dates, if both the following apply:

• the new dates are logical
• the results will be a better outcome for the customer

This most often happens if a customer passes through Australian customs on one day but the flight leaves the next day.

In many cases, customers do not have to tell the agency if they are leaving Australia temporarily for less than 6 weeks, or when they have returned from a temporary absence.

When customers do need to tell us about a departure before leaving Australia or when they have returned to Australia, they can use the Travelling outside of Australia service. This service is in their Centrelink online account. If the travel or portability assessment is complex, the online service will ask them to contact the agency.

The Services Australia website lists when customers must tell the agency they are leaving or returning to Australia. The Resources page has a link.