Restoration of Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) 065-06060030

Service Officers can restore the CSHC if the customer:

• contacts within 13 weeks, and
• either provides their new address or provides evidence of their current address if their address has not changed

Service Officers cannot restore a customer's CSHC if cancelled due to income. The customer must lodge a new claim for assessment of entitlement if:

• their circumstances have changed, or
• they believe that the decision was incorrect. They can ask for the decision to be reviewed

Customers leaving Australia temporarily retain entitlement to a CSHC for 19 weeks from departure. After 19 weeks, the CSHC automatically cancels.

For all CSHC customers that 'return to Australia' make sure the processes at Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for non-pension payments and cards have been followed and completed before any CSHC restoration action.

If the customer returns to Australia within 26 weeks of the cancellation, they can:

• re-claim online, or
• complete the Re-claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)

Some customers may complete a verbal re-claim for a CSHC on their return. See Verbal re-claim of a non-income tested Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC-NOI).

Service Officers can restore a customer's CSHC without the need to reclaim if:

• CSHC cancelled incorrectly due to an absence of the return to Australia information from the Department of Home Affairs, and
• the customer:
• was outside Australia for less than 19 weeks
• contacted within 13 weeks of CSHC portability cancellation.

Service Officers must use the date of cancellation as the restoration date for correct payment of the quarterly supplement.

If a customer returns the form:

• within 13 weeks of the cancellation:
• process the form
• restore (if eligible)
• pay the quarterly supplement arrears (if applicable)
• between 13 and 26 weeks of cancellation, they must re-claim CSHC
• more than 26 weeks after cancellation, they must lodge a new claim for CSHC

If the customer replies to the correspondence, and provides any requested information, within 13 weeks, Service Officers can restore CSHC.

If the reply is received:

• between 13 and 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must re-claim CSHC
• more than 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must lodge a new claim for CSHC

All CSHC claimants and their partners must provide a Tax File Number (TFN), or be granted a TFN exemption. Where a customer's CSHC is being reviewed and/or their partners TFN has not be previously provided, the TFN must be provided for the CSHC to remain current.

If a TFN is provided:

• within 13 weeks of the cancellation CSHC can be restored.
• between 13 and 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must re-claim CSHC
• more than 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must lodge a new claim for CSHC