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

Service Officers can restore the CSHC if the customer contacts within 13 weeks and either provide their new address or provides evidence of their current address if their address has not changed.

Service Officers are not able to restore a customer's CSHC if it was cancelled due to income. The customer must lodge a new claim for assessment of entitlement if their circumstances have changed, or if they believe that the decision was incorrect they can ask for the decision to be reviewed.

Customers leaving Australia temporarily will retain entitlement to a CSHC for the maximum portability period of 19 weeks from departure after which their CSHC will automatically cancel.

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 use the Re-claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (SA296a).

Certain customers may complete a verbal re-claim for a CSHC on their return. The criteria to determine if a customer can complete a verbal re-claim claim for a CSHC is set out in the procedure Re-claiming a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) (including verbal re-claims) after a portability cancellation.

When a customer has been outside Australia for less than the maximum portability period, but their CSHC has cancelled incorrectly due to an absence of the return to Australia information from the Department of Home Affairs, their CSHC may be restored without the need to reclaim as long as the customer has contacted within 13 weeks of CSHC portability cancellation. Ensure that the restoration date is the same as the date of cancellation to ensure correct payment of quarterly supplement.

If the review form is returned within 13 weeks of the cancellation it is to be processed and if the customer is still entitled CSHC is to be restored, ensuring any quarterly supplement arrears are paid (if applicable).

If the form is returned between 13 and 26 weeks of cancellation the customer must re-claim CSHC.

If the form is returned more than 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must lodge a new claim for CSHC.

If the customer replies to the correspondence, and provides any requested information, within 13 weeks CSHC can be restored.

If the reply is received between 13 and 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must re-claim CSHC.

If the reply is received more than 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must lodge a new claim for CSHC.

All CSHC claimants and their partners are required to 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 Tax File Number (TFN) is provided within 13 weeks of the cancellation CSHC can be restored.

If the TFN is provided between 13 and 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must re-claim CSHC.

If TFN is advised more than 26 weeks after cancellation the customer must lodge a new claim for CSHC.