September 19, 2016 
10 Comments 
From 20 September 2016, the income limits that apply to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) have been indexed, meaning you may now be eligible.
Commonwealth Seniors Health Cards are available to those of Age Pension age, but who, due to their income and assets, do not qualify for an Age Pension.
The new annual income limits are as follows:
- $52,796 (single)
- $84,472 (couple)
- $105,592 (couple separated by illness)
As of June 2015, the seniors supplement which was paid to holders of the CSHC, has been abolished.
To learn more about the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, please visit www.humanservices.gov.au
Updated 19 September 2016
Gary Andrews
YourLifeChoices Writers
Noel Whittaker
Matt Grudnoff
Jeremy Cooper
Does the annual income limit include salary sacrifice amount?
The Income Limit is calculated to produce an Adjusted Taxable Income. What counts as adjusted taxable income
Depending on which payments or services you claim, your adjusted taxable income can include:
taxable income
foreign income
tax-exempt foreign income
total net investment losses
reportable fringe benefits
reportable superannuation contributions
certain tax free pensions or benefits, and
superannuation income stream benefits, including both taxable and non-taxable components
Debbie. …could you please advise what entitlemens come with the CSHC in Victoria. There seems to be some conjecture as to whether it includes discounts on motor reg, council rates etc as per the OAP.
Do these income limits include any amount received by way of a super account based pension ?. Or are super account based pension amounts ignored for this test ?
BTW from what I have been able to ascertain the entitlements that come with the CSHC are fairly minimal ?
I believe that super account pensions are ingnored only if you were a pensioner and they commenced before 1Jan 2015 when the rules changed but were grandfathered for existing pensioners. You are correct in that the benefits only relate to health ie bulk billing by the GP, cheaper medicines from the chemist. For discounts on rates, water, electricity you need the pensioner concession card
Bulk billing by Doctors is at their discretion.
Thanks for replying much appreciated
I think annual income amount would include salary sacrifice amount because as a working aged pensioner I have to advise Gross amount each reporting day , NOT the lower amount
Good luck with trying to apply for a seniors healthcare card. I fortunately have a card, but my wife has not had any luck. She applied when she turned 65 in February 2017 and 5 months later, still doesn’t have one.
She qualifies for the card , but for some strange reason Centre Link keep asking for additional information. We have been to Centre link on 3 occasion to present ‘additional’ information, but still no card. We have not logged a complaint some 6 weeks ago….still no news.
41Alpha – They are trying to beat you into submission !!