DI-11-2019 Biannual Bulk Issue - 2020 Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)

Purpose

This Departmental Instruction provides information about:

·         bulk issue of 2020 Pensioner Concession Card (PCC);

·         daily issue of PCCs and travel vouchers to Victorian clients; and

·         reissue of PCCs to clients who lost their pension and PCC as a result of the 1 January 2017 assets test changes.

Overview

The PCC is issued by the Australian Government to all income support recipients to prove eligibility for a range of Commonwealth, State/Territory and local benefits and concessions. DVA is responsible for issuing the PCC to DVA clients, including age pensioners paid by DVA.

Bulk issue of PCCs occur every two years in September/October.

The mail house contracted to DVA is responsible for printing, enveloping and lodging the cards mail packs with Australia Post.

Outside of the bulk issue exercise, the PCC is also produced internally at each state location on a daily basis for new grants and reprints.

Eligible PCC holders not in Income Support payment

In the 2017-18 Budget, the Government announced that it would reissue the PCC to clients (valid from 9 October 2017) who lost their pension and PCC as a result of the 1 January 2017 assets test changes. These clients will retain their PCC eligibility for life.  Any future pension qualification or disqualification will not affect their entitlement to hold a PCC.

This group of clients are also included in the bulk issue of 2020 PCC.

Distribution of fridge magnet

calendars

Since 2017, fridge magnet calendars are distributed with the Spring edition of Vetaffairs in late September.

Dates

The 2020 bulk issue will take place between 22 September and               11 October 2019. The following are the key dates for this exercise.

Activity

Date

Production data extract

22 September 2019

Reports to contact officers

23 September 2019

Commence using 2020 stock for daily issues

24 September 2019

Printing, enveloping and lodgement of cards mail packs

24 September –         11 October 2019

Final lodgement with Australia Post

11 October 2019

Numbers

The estimated number of 2020 PCC mail packs are:

Order of Lodgement

The cards will be printed and lodged with Australia Post in the following order.

WA

Tuesday, 24 September 2019

NSW

Thursday, 26 September 2019

ACT & TAS

Tuesday, 1 October 2019

VIC

Thursday, 3 October 2019

QLD

Thursday, 10 October 2019

SA & NT

Friday, 11 October 2019

VIC Travel Vouchers

Travel vouchers are issued with the PCC for residents of Victoria.

Fridge Magnet Calendar for New Grants

A supply of fridge magnet calendars will be sent to the location contacts and VAN representatives. The calendar is to be included as part of a new grant package, together with the grant advice and You and Your Pension Booklet.

As every Vetaffairs recipient would have received a calendar, a calendar should not be sent out again with daily PCC reprints.                   

Blind Pensioners

The word ‘BLIND’ will be printed at the top right hand corner of the card, (just left of the Expiry date). The card will also be hole-punched at the bottom right hand corner.

Cross Reference

If there is a cross reference number for a person, the PCC bulk issue will be under the active file number which may not always be the prime eligibility file number.

Listing of  Dependants on PCC

The rules for listing dependants on the PCC are outlined below.

·         Members of a couple both in receipt of income support payment will be cross-listed as a dependant on each other’s PCC. Only the dependant’s name is shown, without the file number.

·         Partner of a veteran (including blind veterans) not eligible or payable but in the assessment, will be listed as a dependant on the veteran PCC. The ineligible partner’s name, file number and suffix will be printed on the veteran’s card.

·         A veteran not in payment (and therefore not eligible for a PCC) will appear as a dependant if the partner is on blind pension. The ineligible veteran’s name and file number will be printed on the partner’s card.

·         The maximum number of children that can be listed on a PCC is six. If there are more than six dependent children in the assessment, an additional card listing the remaining children will be issued to each eligible parent.

Eligibility for residents of Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island residents who are in receipt of SP / ISS are eligible to receive a PCC.

Age pensioners who are residents of Norfolk Island paid under Social Security Act 1991 (SSA) are not eligible to receive a PCC. This group of clients should not be in payment with DVA.

2020 PCC Stock

Supplies of 2020 PCC stock for daily issue will be delivered to the location contacts.

The bulk issue of 2020 PCC will be valid from 1 January 2020 until 31 December 2021.

Reports

On completion of the bulk extract, production and error reports will be emailed to location contacts and SSOs. The officers should examine the reports and undertake any necessary action.

Deceased Clients

Clients who have a date of death recorded after the data extraction date of 22 September 2019 will be excluded from the card production run. Where there is a surviving partner, the data will be reconfigured and a card will be issued.

2020 Daily Issues

The procedures for issuing daily PCCs (for new grants and replacements) remain unchanged.

2019 Voucher Issues (if applicable)

Any new grants or transfer-ins between 23 September and 31 December 2019 will need to be manually issued with 2019 travel vouchers, if applicable.      

2020 & 2021 Vouchers (if applicable)

All cardholders are entitled to only one issue of travel vouchers for their residential state except where a cardholder transfers to another state. New grants of income support pension must not be provided with concession vouchers if they have received a PCC with vouchers in the same calendar year.

Replacement of Travel Vouchers

DVA does not have the authority to issue replacement travel vouchers.

Location Contacts

The PCC Location Contacts are as follows:

Location

Contact

NSW / ACT

Sharon Golden / Edna Lobo

QLD

Kerri Muller

VIC

Bryon Kelly

SA / NT / WA

Marion Colliver / Bee Measham

TAS

Guy Siberry / Rodney Quinn / Gillian Blake

Project

Coordinator

The project coordinator for the bulk issue of the 2020 PCC is: