Centrelink home page

Listen

Low Income Health Care Card

On this page

Eligibility

You may be eligible for a Low Income Health Care Card if you are either:

You also need to satisfy the Low Income Health Care Card income test.

Foster carers

You may be eligible for a Low Income Health Care Card if you are a foster carer, or caring for another person’s child, including a relative’s child— for example, if you are a grandparent or an aunt. The card is issued in the name of the child in your care.

Shared care

You may be eligible for a Low Income Health Care Card if you share care of a child for at least 14% of the time (2 or more nights per fortnight). The card is issued in the name of the child in your care.

[ return to top ]

Residence requirements

You need to be living in Australia and be:

  • in Australia, and
  • an Australian resident, or
  • the holder of a special category visa – that is a New Zealand citizen.

You also need to meet a 104-week newly arrived resident’s waiting period or be exempt from this requirement, for example if you are a refugee or the partner of an Australian citizen.

Benefits

A Low Income Health Care Card entitles you to:

  • cheaper medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
  • concessions offered by private companies
  • State and Territory Government and local council concessions, for example:
    • energy and electricity bills
    • health care costs including ambulance, dental and eye care
    • public transport costs
    • water rates.

Please check with your State and Territory Government regarding which concessions are available to Low Income Health Care Card holders- concessional entitlements may vary between States and Territories.

Note: When using services covered by Medicare, you will need to present your Medicare card.

More information

Other websites

[ return to top ]

Claiming

You need to lodge a claim for a Low Income Health Care Card.

You can also register an intent to claim a Low Income Health Care Card. This means you will get your card from the earliest possible date.

Claiming with forms

For a claim form you can:

Documentation

When lodging your claim we will ask you for information to assess your entitlement. This includes your and your partner's income and assets and tax file numbers.

Once you submit your claim you will need to provide proof of identity. We will also tell you if there are other verification documents and forms you need to provide. You will need to submit these within 14 days. The sooner we receive your documents, the sooner we can process your claim.

Claim outcome

We will send you a letter advising if your claim has been successful.

If you claim is successful, we will send your Low Income Health Care Card in the mail. Your Low Income Health Care Card is valid for 6 months from the date you lodge your claim. If you are still eligible, we will send you a renewal claim form 1 month before it is due to expire.

If you disagree with a decision we make

You always have the right to appeal any decision made by Centrelink.

[ return to top ]

If you leave Australia

If you leave Australia temporarily, your card will remain current for up to 13 weeks. If you leave Australia permanently, your card will be cancelled on departure.

Note: To make sure you get the right entitlements, contact us if you plan to leave Australia and also when you return.

Change of circumstances

You need to tell is if your circumstances change. For instance, if your income goes up, or if you start or return to work.

If you stop receiving your Centrelink payment, we will automatically cancel your Low Income Health Care Card.

Find out more

On this website

On the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website

Publications

Contact us

[ return to top ]

Did you find what you were looking for? You can also try the A to Z list, quick links, search, site help, we speak your language or send us feedback on how to make this a better website.

Return to Top