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Custodial parents and PCC

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Duplicate PCC to custodial parents

Applications for a duplicate card are accepted from a custodial parent or couple only. No applications are to be accepted from non-custodial parents. The duplicate card is issued to the custodial parent who can then pass the card to the non-custodial parent. The issue of a duplicate card follows the Department's policy that any medical or pharmaceutical concessions for which the children are eligible should continue to be available to them during these absences.

Loss of duplicate PCC

Non-custodial parents lose the facility to use the duplicate card on a child's behalf if the:

  • person on whom the child is dependant loses service pension eligibility/payability or dies, or

Given the low number of cards issued and the fact that the cards are only valid for a 12 month period, no attempt is made to recover cards issued to non-custodial parents who have lost eligibility for the card.


A service pension is an income support payment broadly equivalent to the social security age and disability support pensions. It may be paid once a veteran or partner has reached the nominated age or is incapacitated for work.

Section 5F(1) of the VEA defines dependent child as having the same meaning as in the Social Security Act 1991.  For income support purposes, dependent child is defined as:

Child under 16 years

  •       the pensioner has legal responsibility either alone or jointly with another person for the day to day care, welfare and development of the young person AND the young person is in the pensioner's care, or
  •       the young person is not a dependent child of someone else AND the young person is wholly or substantially in the pensioner's care.

A child under 16 years cannot be considered a dependent child if:

  •       they are not a full-time student, and
  •       their weekly income from any source is more than the amount specified in section 5(3)(c) of the Social Security Act.    

Child 16 years or older

A young person who has turned 16 years but is under 22 years can still be a dependent child of the pensioner if:

  •       they are wholly or substantially dependent on the pensioner, and
  •       their income in the financial year will not exceed the personal income limit, and
  •       they are receiving full-time education at a school, college or university.

A child over 16 years cannot be considered a dependent child if:

  •       they receive a social security pension or benefit such as youth allowance, or
  •       their personal income is more than the amount specified in section 5(4)(b) of the Social Security Act.    

Income includes earning from casual, part-time or full-time earnings.

Note: the meaning of a dependent child for DVA income support pension purposes is not the same as the meaning for Family Tax Benefit purposes.