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 portability period of up to 6 weeks will commence, even if the return and departure are 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 (this refers to foster child in the case of FST) returns to Australia before the end of the portability period and entitlement has continued throughout the period of absence, a new card does not need to be issued.

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 reclaim their card.

If a customer has been outside Australia for less than their portability period but their LIC has cancelled incorrectly due to an absence of the return to Australia information from Department of Home Affairs, their LIC should be restored without the need to reclaim as long as the customer contacts within 13 weeks of cancellation.

If a LIC or FST customer reclaims after their card has been cancelled they must complete a new claim by completing an online claim or completing a Claim for a Health Care Card (SS050).

If an EHC customer reclaims after their card has been cancelled, they must complete a new claim by using the online claim or completing an Application for a health care card for former recipients of a carer allowance health care card (SS456).

Subject to continued eligibility CSHCs are portable for up to 19 weeks from departure for temporary absences. Quarterly supplement can be paid for up to 6 weeks from the date of temporary departure, provided the CSHC customer remains qualified, if the test day falls within 6 weeks of the date of departure. Test days are 20 March, 20 June, 20 September and 20 December.

If the customer returns to Australia before the end of the 19 week period and entitlement has continued through the period of absence, 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 their maximum portability period but their CSHC has cancelled incorrectly due to an absence of the return to Australia information from Department of Home Affairs, their CSHC should be restored without the need to reclaim as long as the customer contacts within 13 weeks of cancellation.

If a customer has been outside Australia for more than their maximum portability period and their CSHC has cancelled, a verbal re-claim may be undertaken in certain cases. See Re-claiming a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) (including verbal re-claims) after a portability cancellation. Note: as of 6 December 2014, CSHC date of claim will be taken as the immigration advised date of return if the customer lodges a claim within 14 days of the date of return to Australia. This will include CSHC online claims, customised claims, paper claim received by mail, uploaded online, or in office and verbal re-claims. New claims will not be included.

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 will need to complete a Re-claim for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (SA296a) or use the online claim.

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

Concession cards cannot be retained by people who cease to reside in Australia.

If a customer leaves Australia to live in another country, their concession card is cancelled from the date the customer leaves Australia, regardless of whether or not any of the customer's payments are 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 will be cancelled immediately on departure and any accrued quarterly Supplement that the CSHC customer is entitled to prior to leaving Australia will be paid to the customer.

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.

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