Did you know that if you carry a Pensioner Concession Card you pay just 60 cents for $1 stamps, or that you can take one free regional rail journey a year?
And the good news doesn’t stop there. The Federal Government issues three types of concession cards, two of which are tailored for older Australians. If you have one of the cards, you can obtain deep discounts on medicine, free visits to your general practitioner, free hearing tests and hearing aids, plus subsidies for out-of-pocket costs of hospital procedures.
To find out if you qualify for a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card or Seniors Health Card, visit the Department of Social Services website here. You do not need to apply for the Pensioner Card, as the Government will send you one if you are eligible. But you do need to apply for a Seniors Health Card. To do this, visit the Department of Human Services website and fill out a form to get your application started.
If you hold either a Pensioner Concession Card or Seniors Health Card, chances are you also qualify for cheaper postal services. To receive them, you do have to set up an account with Australia Post so it can keep track of your spending on postal services. Visit the Auspost site for details.
But wait, there is more … each state and territory has its own concessions for pensioners. These help with the cost of public transport, municipal rates, energy and a raft of other services.
To learn about what state and territory discounts you can get if you are eligible, visit the Australia.gov.au website here. You will be surprised in which city you can pick up free food or have it delivered for just $1 a kilogram if you are a pensioner.
If you have a concession card, which of its perks are your favourite? How often do you use free public transport concessions? Do you know of any non-government concessions available to pensioners?
Related articles:
Seniors Health Card explained
Are you eligible for discounts
Who receives concessions?
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