Pensioner Concession Card returned to 90,000 former pensioners

More than 90,000 thousand former part-pensioners will have their Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) reinstated from this week.

The Turnbull Government announced the decision in the 2017-18 Budget in May to reinstate the card to those who lost access to the card as a result of reforms to the assets tests which commenced from January 2017.

“The January reforms to the assets test were a crucial step in ensuring that our pension system remains sustainable and affordable for future generations,” Minister Porter said.

“Those reforms increased the assets limits at the lower end, providing increased pension to people with lower levels of assets, whilst reducing the upper limits, meaning some part-pensioners with high levels of assets lost access to their part-pensions.

“As a consequence, those with higher levels of assets also lost their PCC and, as a consequence, lost access to a range of state/territory and local government and private sector benefits, such as discounted council rates or rail travel. The benefits of the card vary from state to state.

“In reinstating the PCC, the Turnbull Government is ensuring that these 90,000 former part-pensioners will be able to access those benefits again in the future.”

The Department of Human Services will automatically reissue the Pensioner Concession Card from today, 9th October. People who lost the card in January will get their new card in the mail over the next two weeks.

Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge said people expecting a re-issued card don’t need to do anything to receive it – the department will send it to them automatically.

“This change means people can regain access to discounts and concessions offered by states, territories and private businesses.

“Part-pensioners will also retain the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which continued to be provided after the January 2017 pension changes. This means they will continue to be paid the energy supplement to help with energy costs.”

For more information about reinstatement of the pensioner concession card go to www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/news/pensioner-concession-card-reinstatement

For more information on assets levels, go to www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/assets.