In short

If you're on the Age Pension, you get the PCC automatically. If not, check your income against the CSHC limits ($101,105 single / $161,768 couple) — it has no assets test. If income is temporarily low, check the LIHCC. Everyone 60+ should also hold their state Seniors Card, which stacks with all of the above except the PCC and CSHC, which are mutually exclusive.

There are several concession cards available to Australian retirees, and most people who ask "which one applies to me?" are actually asking the wrong question — because for most retirees the answer is not one card but a combination, and the cards are not competitors. Working out which ones you are entitled to, in the right order, is worth doing properly: it can add up to real money across prescriptions, transport, utilities, council rates and a wide range of private business discounts, and a meaningful number of self-funded retirees are entitled to a card they have never applied for.

Start here: are you receiving the Age Pension?

If yes — you are automatically issued the Pensioner Concession Card (PCC). You do not need to apply for it separately; confirm you have received it and that it is active. This is the single biggest decision point in the whole system, because it also tells you which card you are not eligible for (see below).

If no — the PCC is not available to you, but that does not mean no concession card is. Move to the next question.

Not on the Age Pension? Check your income against the CSHC

This is the step self-funded retirees most often skip, usually because they assume a card called a "pension" card system has nothing for them.

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) is for people who have reached Age Pension age (currently 67) but are not eligible for the Age Pension itself. Critically, it has no assets test — only an income test. As at this pass, the income limits are:

  • $101,105 a year if you're single
  • $161,768 a year for couples
  • $202,210 a year for couples separated by illness, respite care or prison

(Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/income-test-for-commonwealth-seniors-health-card?context=21966.)

That means a retiree with $2 million or more in superannuation and investments can still qualify for the CSHC, provided their assessed income sits under the relevant limit above. The income test uses adjusted taxable income plus deemed income on account-based pension balances and other financial assets, so if you hold most of your wealth in super or investments rather than drawing a high wage, you may be well under the threshold even with a substantial balance. If you are Age Pension age, not on the Age Pension, and have not checked this — check it. It is the card retirees most often miss.

Income temporarily low? The Low Income Health Care Card fills the gap

The Low Income Health Care Card (LIHCC) is narrower and more short-term. It is assessed on your income over the preceding eight weeks, with no assets test, and it can come and go as your circumstances change.

It is most relevant if you have substantial assets that generate little assessable income in a given period, or if you are a self-funded retiree whose income has temporarily dropped below the CSHC threshold — or if you are not yet Age Pension age but your current income qualifies you anyway. For most established retirees the PCC or CSHC will be the primary card and the LIHCC is a fallback worth knowing about rather than relying on.

Whichever of the above applies — also check your state Seniors Card

This is the card almost everyone should hold and a surprising number don't bother applying for, because it runs alongside the federal cards rather than instead of them.

Every state and territory runs its own Seniors Card program, each with its own age threshold (commonly 60 or 65) and its own work-hours conditions. Unlike the federal cards, most state Seniors Cards have no income or assets test — age and reduced working hours are generally the only qualifiers. Benefits are state-specific but typically include discounted public transport, regional coach and rail travel, and a network of business discounts. It costs nothing to apply and takes little time. If you are 60 or over, check your state's card even if you think you already have it sorted through the PCC or CSHC.

A veteran, or a veteran's partner?

The Department of Veterans' Affairs runs a separate and often more comprehensive system. The Gold Card covers treatment for all health conditions. The White Card covers treatment for specific accepted service-related conditions. The Orange Card provides pharmaceutical benefits only. DVA card holders who also meet the age and income criteria for a state Seniors Card can hold both — the two systems are not mutually exclusive.

What each card is actually worth

PBS prescriptions are where the concession cards pay off most directly and predictably. Holding a Commonwealth concession card — PCC, CSHC or LIHCC — caps the cost of a PBS prescription at $7.70, and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing confirms this rate is frozen until 1 January 2030 under a five-year freeze that began 1 January 2025. Without a concession card, the general patient co-payment is $25 through calendar 2026, after which it moves with the Consumer Price Index each year (health.gov.au, https://www.health.gov.au/cheaper-medicines/pbs-co-payments). For a retiree managing several regular medicines, that gap compounds quickly across a year.

Beyond the PBS rate, the Commonwealth cards also open the door to Medicare bulk-billing at participating practices and a range of state and territory concessions on energy, water, council rates and vehicle registration — the specifics vary by state, and the PCC generally unlocks a broader set than the CSHC or LIHCC. The state Seniors Card layers transport and retail discounts on top, regardless of which federal card you hold.

The combination that applies to you

Put the answers to the questions above together and one of these will usually be your position:

  • On the Age Pension: PCC (automatic) + your state Seniors Card if you're 60 or over.
  • Self-funded, Age Pension age, income under the CSHC limits: CSHC + your state Seniors Card.
  • Self-funded, income temporarily low: LIHCC (while it applies) + your state Seniors Card.
  • Veteran or veteran's partner: the relevant DVA card + your state Seniors Card.

The PCC and the CSHC are mutually exclusive — you cannot hold both, because the CSHC is specifically for people who are not eligible for the Age Pension (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-commonwealth-seniors-health-card?context=21966). Every other combination above is available simultaneously.

What to actually do about it

Because circumstances change — assets, income, Age Pension entitlement, whether you've moved states — this is worth revisiting roughly once a year, not just once.

  • On the Age Pension: confirm your PCC has actually been received and activated, and that state concessions (energy, water, council rates) have been registered with the relevant providers — the card being active doesn't automatically mean every concession attached to it has been applied.
  • Not on the Age Pension and Age Pension age: check your income against the CSHC limits above. This is the single highest-value check in this entire article, because it is the one most people wrongly assume doesn't apply to them.
  • 60 or over, regardless of the above: apply for your state Seniors Card if you haven't. It costs nothing.
  • Income has dropped recently: check the LIHCC even if you weren't eligible last year.
  • A veteran or veteran's partner: confirm your DVA card status and check the relevant state Seniors Card on top of it.

Sources

Key takeaways

  • The Pensioner Concession Card is issued automatically with the Age Pension and gives PBS medicines at the $7.70 concession rate (versus $25 general rate through calendar 2026, frozen at $7.70 for concession card holders until 2030), Medicare bulk-billing access, and state concessions on energy, water, council rates, and transport — but it's lost if Age Pension entitlement ceases.
  • The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is for people at Age Pension age (67) who don't qualify for the Age Pension itself, provided their income is below the threshold ($101,105 single, $161,768 couple combined as at 20 September 2025) — critically, it has no assets test, so a retiree with $2 million in super could still qualify if their assessed income is low enough.
  • The Low Income Health Care Card suits retirees whose income drops temporarily below a set weekly threshold in the preceding eight weeks, with no assets test — it's reassessed on a rolling basis and can come and go as circumstances change.
  • The PCC and CSHC are mutually exclusive (Age Pension recipients get the PCC; the CSHC is specifically for those who don't qualify for the Age Pension), but either can be combined with a state Seniors Card, and veterans may additionally hold a DVA Gold, White, or Orange Card.
  • Most retirees hold a COMBINATION, not one card. On the Age Pension: PCC + state Seniors Card. Self-funded: CSHC + state Seniors Card. Income temporarily low: LIHCC + state Seniors Card. Veteran: DVA card + state Seniors Card. Only the PCC and CSHC exclude each other.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the Pensioner Concession Card and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?

The Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is issued automatically to Age Pension recipients and is lost if the pension stops. The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) is for people who've reached Age Pension age (67) but don't qualify for the Age Pension itself, provided their income is below a set threshold — critically, the CSHC has no assets test at all, so a self-funded retiree with substantial super or investments can still qualify based on income alone. The two cards are mutually exclusive; you get one or the other, not both.

Do I need to have low assets to get the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?

No. The CSHC has no assets test — only an income test, currently $101,105 a year for singles or $161,768 combined for couples (as at 20 September 2025). This means a self-funded retiree with $2 million in superannuation and investments could still qualify, provided their assessed income (which includes deemed income from account-based pension balances at current deeming rates) sits below the threshold. Many self-funded retirees mistakenly assume they don't qualify and never apply.

What is the Low Income Health Care Card and who is it for?

It's for people whose income in the preceding eight weeks falls below a set weekly threshold, with no assets test at all. It's particularly useful for retirees with substantial assets that generate little assessable income, or for self-funded retirees whose income temporarily drops below the threshold in a given period. Because it's reassessed on a rolling basis, eligibility can come and go as circumstances change, unlike the more stable PCC or CSHC.

Can I hold a state Seniors Card as well as a federal concession card?

Yes — state and territory Seniors Cards operate alongside the federal cards, not instead of them. Most state Seniors Cards have no income or assets test, just an age threshold (often 60 or 65), so they can be combined with a PCC, CSHC, or DVA card. The most common combinations are PCC plus state Seniors Card for Age Pension recipients, and CSHC plus state Seniors Card for self-funded retirees — almost every retiree 60 or over should hold their state card, since applying is free and quick.

A note on advice. This article is general information only and doesn't account for your personal circumstances. Everyone's situation is different — before acting, it's worth talking it through with a licensed adviser who knows your full picture.