Last amended: 2 August 2013
What is a PCC?
The Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is a joint Australian Government and State funded initiative. Service pensioners and income support supplement recipients are issued with a PCC annually to confirm their entitlement to fringe benefits.
Who is eligible for a PCC
A PCC is issued by DVA to all:
- service pensioners,
- age pensioners who receive their pension through DVA, and
- war widows/widowers receiving an income support supplement.
Reinstated PCCs were also issued to people whose income support pension was cancelled on 1 January 2017 due to changes to the assets test. There is no requirement for people in this category to be receiving an income support pension.
Norfolk Island residents eligible for a PCC
Under the VEA, Norfolk Island residents are accepted as having Australian residency, for PCC purposes. The VEA meaning of “Australia” includes the external Territory of Norfolk Island for the purposes of Part III VEA and Part IIIA of the VEA, which cover service pension and income support supplement eligibility. A Norfolk Island resident who is receiving a service pension or an income support supplement is eligible to receive a PCC.
Residents of Norfolk Island issued with a PCC will be entitled to similar concessions that other PCC recipients are entitled, as determined by the Administration of Norfolk Island. These PCC holders are also entitled to the reciprocal concession available to other PCC holders when travelling to another Territory or State.
The Social Security Act 1991 has a different meaning of “Australia” for residency purposes, which does not cover the external Territory of Norfolk Island.
Non-pensioner partners and PCC
A non-pensioner partner of a person on an income support payment is not eligible for a PCC of their own. In the case of a person on a:
- disability support pension, as a result of blindness, or
- an age pension,
the partner would need to qualify for a pension from Centrelink in their own right to be issued with a PCC.
PCC eligibility for dependants
The names of the cardholder's dependants, including the cardholder's partner and dependant children, may be listed on the PCC provided they are an Australian resident. The benefit of concessional rate prescription medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme extends to those dependants listed on the cardholder's PCC. As such, the dependant must be an Australian resident as per the Health Insurance Act 1973.
Invalidity service pensioners remain eligible for PCC
If a person is receiving invalidity service pension, and they cease to be eligible because the person ceases to be permanently incapacitated for work and they have a determination under s53B of the VEA, they remain eligible for a PCC.
Continuation of PCC eligibility following bereavement
A bereavement payment continues the pension entitlements of the deceased person for the duration of the bereavement period. The PCC eligibility requirement, for pension to be received, continues to be met. Where the surviving partner's pension entitlement is otherwise reduced to nil, the PCC card remains valid until the end of the bereavement period.
Loss of PCC eligibility
Eligible pensioners need to receive at least $1 of pension per fortnight to retain their eligibility for a PCC. A pensioner loses eligibility for a PCC on and from the date they are no longer in receipt of service pension or income support supplement.
This requirement does not apply to people who received a reinstated PCC because their income support pension was cancelled on 1 January 2017 due to changes to the assets test. There is no requirement for people in this category to be receiving an income support pension.