Concessions for Pensioners: New South Wales (NSW)
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Are you unsure of what you’re eligible for as an Australian senior? We’re here to help!
This guide details the benefits of Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holders in New South Wales (NSW). With the card, you can get cheaper medicine, bulk-billed doctor visits, and help with hearing services.
If you want to know more about what a PCC is and how to avail it, click here!
Read on to determine what concessions you're entitled to with your PCC!
Utilities
NSW has a range of separate rebate schemes for electricity, gas and water bills, which include programs for self-funded retirees, Health Care Card holders, pensioners, veterans’ card holders and more.
Generally, you’ll need to submit a form to the NSW government. Check the details of the particular scheme for what’s required, as they can vary.
Electricity rebate: The Low Income Household Rebate will shave up to $285 a year off your electricity bill for households with a retail provider.
To be eligible, you must:
You can apply for the NSW Gas Rebate if:
Water rates: Eligible pensioners can access a quarterly rebate, shaving hundreds of dollars a year off a typical household bill.
To be eligible for a rebate, you’ll need to:
Water, sewerage and stormwater rebates
The Sydney Water Corporation and the Hunter Water Corporation offer concessions to eligible pensioners. These concessions are offered to:
For more information, contact:
Motor vehicle registration
If you're a pensioner, you may be eligible for concessions on your vehicle registration in NSW. Eligible pensioners don't have to pay:
Concessions that may be available to you include the following:
Free registration for eligible pensioners
NSW registration is free for eligible pensioners. Pension concessions apply to one vehicle per eligible pensioner.
Automatic registration renewal
If you are an eligible pensioner entitled to free registration with no restrictions on your licence or vehicle, then your registration may be renewed automatically by Service NSW. Automatic renewal occurs once Service NSW receives your pink slip and confirmation of your CTP green slip purchase, provided they are received before registration expiry.
Service NSW will check your pensioner status.
If you have an online account with Service NSW, you will receive an email or text message to confirm your registration renewal. You can check your registration status and CTP green slip through Service NSW.
Automatic registration renewal applies to one vehicle per eligible pensioner.
To be eligible, you must hold a current Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) issued by Centrelink or the DVA showing an NSW address.
You cannot claim a concession in NSW on interstate pensioner concession cards.
Rates
Concessions are available for eligible pensioners. To be an eligible pensioner, you must receive a pension from either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and be entitled to a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Commonwealth Government. You can only claim a concession on the property if it is your sole or principal place.
Concessions include:
Transport
The gold senior/pensioner Opal card gives you unlimited travel for no more than $2.50 a day on public transport services across the following regions:
Holders of one of the following cards are eligible:
Veterans assessed at 10 impairment points or more under the Military, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) may also be eligible. This pass is also available to certain Commonwealth and allied Second World War veterans who live permanently in NSW.
The pass entitles the holder to free travel on public transport in NSW.
For more information, please contact Transport for NSW on 131 500 or visit Ex-members of the Defence Force with a disability.
For more information, please contact Transport for NSW on 131 500 or visit NSW Blinded Soldier Pass.
Pensioner Travel Vouchers
If you hold a NSW or ACT Pensioner Concession Card or a NSW War Widow/er transport concession card, you are entitled to four Pensioner Travel Vouchers each calendar year for travel within regional NSW.
Regional seniors travel card
The regional seniors travel card provides eligible seniors living in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW with a $250 prepaid card to help ease the cost of travel. You can use the card at certain retailers to pay for pre-booked NSW TrainLink regional trains, coaches, fuel, and taxis.
The regional seniors travel card program is available for a 4-year trial period (2020-2023).
Eligible seniors can apply for a card as follows:
Applications for 2023 (Year 4) open on 23 January 2023 and close on 30 November 2023.
Please allow up to 20 business days from the time of application for your card and PIN to arrive.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the regional seniors travel card, you must:
Community Transport is a government-subsidised scheme available in many regional areas. It supports people with limited transport options to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives by making it easier to get around and stay socially connected.
It is specially designed to help eligible members of the community get to medical appointments, participate in social activities and maintain independent living at home.
Find out more about Community Transport.
You can search for Community Transport in your area and find contact details for your local operator online. See transportnsw.info/operators, then under ‘Filter by mode’, select ‘Community Transport’.
Subsidised Taxi Travel
If you are physically unable to use regular public transport services because of a severe and permanent disability, you may qualify for discounted taxi travel under the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme.
The scheme provides discounts of up to half the metered fare to a maximum $60 subsidy per trip for travel in regular and wheelchair-accessible taxis. Find out more about Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme here.
Courtesy Bus
Many RSLs offer a free courtesy bus to collect you from home. Speak to your local RSL for more information.
Other
Australia Post
Australia Post offers a 40% discount on postage stamps, discounts on redirecting mail and free document certification for eligible concession card holders.
You can apply if you hold any of the following Australian Federal Government concession cards:
Telstra
Telstra offers a number of concessions to Pensioner Concession Card holders, including a discount on new telephone service connection fees and a reduction in your home line plan costs. For more information, contact Telstra at 1800 676 442 or visit their website.
Free glasses:
You can get yourself one pair of single-vision glasses or one pair of bifocal glasses in a two-year period under the NSW Spectacles Program.
You may be eligible if you:
Sydney Dental Hospital (SDH) and Oral Health Services (OHS) provide public and oral health services to eligible PCC and CSHC holders. For more information, please get in touch with the Central Oral Health Intake and Information Service (COHIIS) at (02) 9293 3333 or visit Oral Health.
This guide details the benefits of Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holders in New South Wales (NSW). With the card, you can get cheaper medicine, bulk-billed doctor visits, and help with hearing services.
If you want to know more about what a PCC is and how to avail it, click here!
Read on to determine what concessions you're entitled to with your PCC!
Image Credit: Unsplash
Utilities
NSW has a range of separate rebate schemes for electricity, gas and water bills, which include programs for self-funded retirees, Health Care Card holders, pensioners, veterans’ card holders and more.
Generally, you’ll need to submit a form to the NSW government. Check the details of the particular scheme for what’s required, as they can vary.
Electricity rebate: The Low Income Household Rebate will shave up to $285 a year off your electricity bill for households with a retail provider.
To be eligible, you must:
- be a self-funded retiree living in NSW
- hold a current Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) issued by either Services Australia or the Department of Veterans' Affairs
- be the account holder named on the electricity bill
- be applying for the rebate for your main place of residence.
You can apply for the NSW Gas Rebate if:
- you're an NSW resident
- you're an account holder of a gas retailer
- you hold one of the following:
- Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) or Services Australia
- Health Care Card issued by Services Australia, or
- DVA Gold Card marked with either 'War Widow' or 'War Widower Pension', or 'Totally and Permanently Incapacitated' (TPI) or 'Disability Pension' (EDA).
Water rates: Eligible pensioners can access a quarterly rebate, shaving hundreds of dollars a year off a typical household bill.
To be eligible for a rebate, you’ll need to:
- be the owner and occupier of a property, and
- have one of the following:
- Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) or Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Concession Card
- DVA Intermediate Rate pension
- DVA Gold Card (also known as a Veteran Gold Card) that shows:
- war widow
- war widower
- extreme disablement adjustment (EDA)
- totally and temporarily incapacitated (TTI)
- totally and permanently incapacitated (TPI).
Water, sewerage and stormwater rebates
The Sydney Water Corporation and the Hunter Water Corporation offer concessions to eligible pensioners. These concessions are offered to:
- Pensioner Concession card holders
- holders of a Veteran Gold Card embossed with 'war widow', 'TPI' or 'EDA'
- veterans receiving a Disability Compensation Payment at the Temporarily Totally Incapacitated (TTI) rate or the Intermediate rate.
For more information, contact:
- Sydney Water Corporation on 13 20 92 or visit Sydney Water.
- Hunter Water Corporation on 1300 657 657 or visit Hunter Water.
Motor vehicle registration
If you're a pensioner, you may be eligible for concessions on your vehicle registration in NSW. Eligible pensioners don't have to pay:
- registration fees
- motor vehicle tax
- conditional registration fees.
Concessions that may be available to you include the following:
Free registration for eligible pensioners
NSW registration is free for eligible pensioners. Pension concessions apply to one vehicle per eligible pensioner.
Automatic registration renewal
If you are an eligible pensioner entitled to free registration with no restrictions on your licence or vehicle, then your registration may be renewed automatically by Service NSW. Automatic renewal occurs once Service NSW receives your pink slip and confirmation of your CTP green slip purchase, provided they are received before registration expiry.
Service NSW will check your pensioner status.
If you have an online account with Service NSW, you will receive an email or text message to confirm your registration renewal. You can check your registration status and CTP green slip through Service NSW.
Automatic registration renewal applies to one vehicle per eligible pensioner.
To be eligible, you must hold a current Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) issued by Centrelink or the DVA showing an NSW address.
You cannot claim a concession in NSW on interstate pensioner concession cards.
Rates
Concessions are available for eligible pensioners. To be an eligible pensioner, you must receive a pension from either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and be entitled to a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Commonwealth Government. You can only claim a concession on the property if it is your sole or principal place.
Concessions include:
- $250 on ordinary council rates and charges for domestic waste management services
- $87.50 on annual water rates and charges (where the service is provided by council)
- $87.50 on annual sewerage rates and charges (where the service is provided by council).
The gold senior/pensioner Opal card gives you unlimited travel for no more than $2.50 a day on public transport services across the following regions:
- Sydney (not including the Sydney airport station access fee as this is a privately owned line)
- Blue Mountains
- Central Coast
- Hunter
- Illawarra
- Southern Highlands.
- $2.50 all-day travel with the Regional Excursion Daily ticket on local buses
- $2.50 all-day travel with the Country Pensioner Excursion ticket for booked NSW TrainLink Regional services
- 2 return (or 4 single) free or discounted trips on NSW TrainLink Regional services in economy class each calendar year, with Pensioner Travel Vouchers. If you're travelling interstate on your free journeys, you'll need to pay 50% of the applicable fare from the NSW border to the interstate destination.
Holders of one of the following cards are eligible:
- Pensioner Concession Card issued by Services Australia
- Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
- NSW or ACT Seniors Card
- Click this link.
- Select the 'I want to order a Senior/Pensioner Opal card' option.
- Read the eligibility criteria, then select 'Continue ordering an Opal card'.
- Enter your personal details and password.
- Enter your entitlement details. Your details must match what's shown on your concession card exactly.
- Add a value if you'd like to use your card as soon as you get it, then enter the delivery details for the Opal card.
- If you've added a value, enter your payment details.
- Your Opal card will be mailed within 5 to 7 working days.
Ex-members of the Defence Force Pass
Veterans who receive a Disability Compensation Payment (DCP) under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and live permanently in NSW may be eligible for an Ex-members of the Defence Force pass.Veterans assessed at 10 impairment points or more under the Military, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) may also be eligible. This pass is also available to certain Commonwealth and allied Second World War veterans who live permanently in NSW.
The pass entitles the holder to free travel on public transport in NSW.
For more information, please contact Transport for NSW on 131 500 or visit Ex-members of the Defence Force with a disability.
Blinded Soldiers Gold Pass
The Blinded Soldiers Gold Pass entitles the holder to free travel on public transport in NSW.For more information, please contact Transport for NSW on 131 500 or visit NSW Blinded Soldier Pass.
Pensioner Travel Vouchers
If you hold a NSW or ACT Pensioner Concession Card or a NSW War Widow/er transport concession card, you are entitled to four Pensioner Travel Vouchers each calendar year for travel within regional NSW.
Regional seniors travel card
The regional seniors travel card provides eligible seniors living in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW with a $250 prepaid card to help ease the cost of travel. You can use the card at certain retailers to pay for pre-booked NSW TrainLink regional trains, coaches, fuel, and taxis.
The regional seniors travel card program is available for a 4-year trial period (2020-2023).
Eligible seniors can apply for a card as follows:
Applications for 2023 (Year 4) open on 23 January 2023 and close on 30 November 2023.
Please allow up to 20 business days from the time of application for your card and PIN to arrive.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the regional seniors travel card, you must:
- Have reached the Age Pension age
- You must also have received your pension or have held your card for at least one month.
- Live in a designated regional area of NSW outside of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong
- Be receiving support from either Services Australia:
- Age Pension
- Carer Payment
- Disability Support Pension
- Or hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs:
- Age Pension
- Service Pension
- Disability Pension under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
- War Widow(er) Pension
- Or hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Community Transport is a government-subsidised scheme available in many regional areas. It supports people with limited transport options to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives by making it easier to get around and stay socially connected.
It is specially designed to help eligible members of the community get to medical appointments, participate in social activities and maintain independent living at home.
Find out more about Community Transport.
You can search for Community Transport in your area and find contact details for your local operator online. See transportnsw.info/operators, then under ‘Filter by mode’, select ‘Community Transport’.
Subsidised Taxi Travel
If you are physically unable to use regular public transport services because of a severe and permanent disability, you may qualify for discounted taxi travel under the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme.
The scheme provides discounts of up to half the metered fare to a maximum $60 subsidy per trip for travel in regular and wheelchair-accessible taxis. Find out more about Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme here.
Courtesy Bus
Many RSLs offer a free courtesy bus to collect you from home. Speak to your local RSL for more information.
Other
Australia Post
Australia Post offers a 40% discount on postage stamps, discounts on redirecting mail and free document certification for eligible concession card holders.
You can apply if you hold any of the following Australian Federal Government concession cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Department of Veterans' Affairs Card
- Veterans' Repatriation Health Card
Telstra
Telstra offers a number of concessions to Pensioner Concession Card holders, including a discount on new telephone service connection fees and a reduction in your home line plan costs. For more information, contact Telstra at 1800 676 442 or visit their website.
Free glasses:
You can get yourself one pair of single-vision glasses or one pair of bifocal glasses in a two-year period under the NSW Spectacles Program.
You may be eligible if you:
- are an Australian permanent resident living in NSW
- receive a full Centrelink pension or income support payment, and receive no other income other than the Centrelink payment, or
- are a low-wage earner who earns less than:
- the full JobSeeker Payment if you're aged under 65, or
- the aged pension if you're aged 65 or over.
- have financial assets less than $500 (if single) or $1,000 (if married/partnered or parent/guardian)
- are a DVA Veterans card holder who is not eligible to receive subsidised glasses through the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Sydney Dental Hospital (SDH) and Oral Health Services (OHS) provide public and oral health services to eligible PCC and CSHC holders. For more information, please get in touch with the Central Oral Health Intake and Information Service (COHIIS) at (02) 9293 3333 or visit Oral Health.
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