1: Commonwealth Seniors Health Card – guide to claim
We’ll guide you through the claim process.
Before you claim check that you’re eligible.
Keep in mind, you can’t get this card if you’re younger than Age Pension age or you get a payment from us.
2: Do you have a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card claim in progress?
3: You can track your claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
You may need to supply supporting documents to progress your claim.
To track your claim you can use either your:
- Centrelink online account through myGov
- Centrelink Express Plus mobile app.
If you’re eligible, the card will display in your digital wallet in the Centrelink Express Plus mobile app. We’ll also post it to you.
If you’re not eligible, we’ll let you know the result of your claim by sending a letter to your myGov Inbox. If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.
If you think we’ve made a mistake you can ask us to review our decision.
4: Are you claiming for yourself and your partner?
5: Claiming for yourself and your partner
We’re working on a combined online partner claim for Commonwealth Senior Health Card. We hope to have this available in the near future.
In the meantime, if you want to claim for yourself and your partner online, you’ll each need to submit your own claim. You and your partner can both follow the instructions in this guide to claim.
If you’d prefer to claim together, you can use the Claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card form.
6: Do you want to claim online?
The easiest way is to claim online.
7: You can claim by form or phone
If you can’t claim online, you can do 1 of the following:
- call us on the Centrelink older Australians line
- print and complete the Claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card form
- print and complete the Re-claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card form if you had a card and we cancelled it less than 26 weeks ago.
You don’t need to go to a service centre to make a claim. If you're feeling unwell, or need to isolate yourself at home, please don't visit our service centres.
8: After you claim by form or phone
We'll contact you if we need more details.
To track your claim you can use either your:
- Centrelink online account through myGov
- Centrelink Express Plus mobile app.
If you’re eligible, the card will display in your digital wallet in the Centrelink Express Plus mobile app. We’ll also post it to you.
If you’re not eligible, we’ll let you know the result of your claim by sending a letter to your myGov Inbox. If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.
If you don’t agree with our decision call the Older Australians line. If you still don’t agree, you can ask us to review our decision.
9: Do you have a myGov account?
10: Do you have a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)?
If you don’t have one or can’t remember your CRN, select No.
11: Create a myGov account and link Centrelink to claim
To claim this card you need a myGov account linked to Centrelink. If you don’t have a myGov account, it’s easy to create one.
Follow these steps.
- Go to myGov and select Create an account.
- Read the Terms of use. If you agree to the terms, select I agree.
- Enter your email address, then confirm this address using a code we email to you. Your myGov account must use a unique email address. You can’t use the same email for another myGov account.
- Enter your mobile number, if you have one. If you enter a number you’ll get a code sent to it each time you sign in to your myGov account.
- Create a password and 3 secret questions and enter answers.
- You’ve created your myGov account, select Continue to myGov.
To link Centrelink you’ll need your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN).
12: Link Centrelink with your CRN and make your claim
To claim a payment you need Centrelink linked to your myGov account. If you have a CRN you can link Centrelink to your myGov account.
Follow these steps to link to Centrelink and make a claim.
- In myGov, select Continue from the Government support for Coronavirus alert.
- Select I have a CRN and follow the prompts to link Centrelink to your myGov account.
- Select Centrelink from your linked services.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status from your homepage.
- Select Get Started from the Concessions cards menu.
- Select Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
- Answer the Eligibility check questions first.
- Start your claim and answer the questions about your situation.
- Review and confirm your claim.
13: Create a myGov account and prove who you are to link to Centrelink
To claim this card you need a myGov account linked to Centrelink. If you don’t have a myGov account, it’s easy to create one.
Follow these steps.
- Go to myGov and select Create an account.
- Read the Terms of use. If you agree to the terms, select I agree.
- Enter your email address, then confirm this address using a code we email to you. Your myGov account must use a unique email address. You can’t use the same email for another myGov account.
- Enter your mobile number, if you have one. If you enter a number you’ll get a code sent to it each time you sign in to your myGov account.
- Create a password and 3 secret questions and enter answers.
- You’ve created your myGov account, select Continue to myGov.
After you prove who you are through myGov by entering some details about you, you’ll get a CRN. We’ll check if you already have a CRN or create one and link Centrelink to your myGov account.
14: Prove who you are to link Centrelink
- In myGov, select Continue from the Government support for Coronavirus alert.
- Select I need a CRN.
- Follow the prompts to enter your identity details.
- Enter information from your Medicare card.
- Enter some personal details and we’ll check them against our records.
- We’ll link Centrelink to your myGov account and you’ll then have a Centrelink online account.
- You’ll need identity details from one of these documents:
- current Australian passport
- Australian birth certificate
- Australian citizenship certificate
- Australian visa.
You’ll also need identity details from one of these documents:
- Australian driver licence
- ImmiCard issued by the Department of Home Affairs
- Australian Citizenship by Descent Certificate.
You can now start your claim for a payment. Before you can submit your claim, you’ll need to visit a service centre to complete our identity requirements. You’ll need to give us an acceptable photo identity document as well as any other documents we may ask for.
If you can’t prove who you are online to get a CRN, call us on the Centrelink older Australians line.
15: How to claim after you create your myGov account and link to Centrelink
Once you’ve signed in to myGov and linked Centrelink, follow these steps:
- Select Centrelink.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status from your homepage.
- Select Get started from the Concessions Cards menu.
- Select Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
- Answer the Eligibility check questions first.
- Start your claim and answer the questions about your situation.
- Review and confirm your claim.
We’ll tell you if you need to do anything else to complete your claim. We may ask you for supporting documents to submit your claim.
16: Is your myGov account linked to Centrelink?
You need to link your myGov account to Centrelink to make your claim.
17: Do you have a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)?
If you don’t have one or can’t remember your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN), select No.
18: Sign in to myGov and prove who you are to link Centrelink
To claim a payment online, you’ll need to do both the following:
- link Centrelink and your myGov account
- prove your identity to Centrelink.
You can do both of these with a strong Digital Identity.
myGovID is currently the only Digital Identity provider that provides the strong level Digital Identity required for Centrelink.
Download and use the myGovID app to get a strong level Digital Identity. You’ll need to enter your personal details, details from your identity documents and verify your photo.
Find out how to set up the myGovID app on the myGovID website.
Once you have a strong level Digital Identity, follow these steps to link Centrelink and prove your identity.
Follow these steps:
- Sign in to myGov
- Select View and link services, then select Centrelink.
- Give your consent to share your details with Centrelink.
- Select No to Do you have or know your CRN?
- Select Get started in the Digital Identity (Recommended) box.
- Connect your Digital Identity to myGov.
- Enter other details about you.
If you can’t prove your identity online, call us on the Centrelink older Australians line.
19: How to claim after linking Centrelink to your myGov
Once you’ve signed in to myGov and linked Centrelink, follow these steps:
- Select Centrelink.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status from your homepage.
- Select Get started from the Concession Cards menu.
- Select Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
- Answer the Eligibility Check questions first.
- Start your claim and answer the questions about your situation.
- Review and confirm your claim.
We’ll tell you if you need to do anything else to complete your claim. We may ask you for supporting documents to submit your claim.
20: Sign in to myGov and make a claim
Follow the next steps:
- Sign in to myGov and go to Centrelink.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status from your homepage.
- Select Get started from the Concession Cards category.
- Select Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
- Answer the Eligibility check questions first.
- Start your claim and answer the questions about your situation.
- Review and confirm your claim.
We’ll tell you if you need to do anything else to complete your claim. We may ask you submit supporting documents to submit your claim.
21: Sign into myGov and link to Centrelink with your CRN to claim
To claim a Concession card online you need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. When you have a CRN we can create a Centrelink online account for you and link it to your myGov.
Follow these steps:
- Sign in to myGov.
- Select View and link services, then select Centrelink.
- Select I have a CRN and follow the prompts to link Centrelink to your myGov account.
- Select Centrelink from your linked services.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status from your homepage.
- Select Get Started from the Concession Cards menu.
- Select Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
- Answer the Eligibility Check questions first.
- Start your claim and answer the questions about your situation.
- Review and confirm your claim.
We’ll tell you if you need to do anything else to complete your claim. We may ask you for supporting documents to submit your claim.
22: After you claim
After you submit your claim online, you’ll get a receipt telling you your claim ID.
To track your claim you can use either your:
- Centrelink online account through myGov
- Centrelink Express Plus mobile app.
If you’re eligible, the card will display in your digital wallet in the Centrelink Express Plus mobile app. We’ll also post it to you.
If you’re not eligible, we’ll let you know the result of your claim by sending a letter to your myGov Inbox. If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.
If you don’t agree with our decision call the Centrelink older Australians line. If you still don’t agree, you can ask us to review our decision.