Concession Cards for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Australia

When you're raising a grandchild on a pension or a low income, the savings from concession cards add up fast — cheaper prescriptions, reduced utility bills, free or discounted public transport, and lower council rates. The catch is that most grandparent carers don't realise they can hold multiple cards at once, or that the child qualifies for their own card independently of yours.

The Foster Child Health Care Card

This is the single most useful card for grandparent carers and the one most often missed. The Foster Child Health Care Card (FCHCC) is issued in the child's name, has no income or assets test, and is available to informal carers — you don't need a court order or child protection placement.

What it covers:

• PBS prescriptions at concessional rates — up to $7.70 per prescription, plus any applicable brand premium; the general co-payment cap is $25 in 2026
• Bulk billing incentive — GPs receive a higher Medicare rebate when they bulk-bill a concession card holder, making them more likely to bulk-bill your grandchild
• State and local concessions — depending on your state, this can include reduced ambulance fees, energy rebates, and water concessions

To apply, lodge a claim through myGov or submit form MO044 at a Centrelink service centre. You'll need the child's birth certificate and evidence that the child is in your care — a school enrolment letter, statutory declaration, or GP letter confirming the child lives with you.

The card is valid for one year and is reissued automatically if you're still eligible. You can apply for it whether or not you have lodged an FTB claim.

Your Own Concession Card

If you're on the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, or Parenting Payment Single, you already hold (or are eligible for) a Pensioner Concession Card. This covers your own prescriptions, transport, and utilities — and in most states, your dependants get some of the same concessions automatically.

If you're not on a pension but have a low income, you may qualify for the Low Income Health Care Card. For a new or renewed card, the current gross weekly income limit is $826 for a single person with no dependent children, or $1,410 with one dependent child, plus $34 for each additional child. Centrelink assesses gross income over the 8 weeks before you apply. Adding a grandchild to your care can change which limit applies.

Check whether the grandchild is listed as a dependant on your Centrelink record. If they are (because you receive FTB for them), they may already appear on your card — but having the FCHCC in the child's own name gives them independent concession access even if your circumstances change.

Pension Supplement and the Energy Supplement

Grandparent carers on the Age Pension or DSP receive the Pension Supplement automatically — it's built into your pension rate, up to $88.20 per fortnight for a single person at the September 2026 rate. The supplement incorporates the former Pharmaceutical, Telephone, and Utilities Allowance components.

The Energy Supplement is a small additional payment ($14.10 per fortnight for single pensioners) paid alongside your pension. The grandfathering rule applies to Family Tax Benefit and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card recipients: they only receive it if they maintained eligibility since 19 September 2016. This rule does not apply to Age Pension or DSP rates. Check your payment details on myGov.

Neither of these supplements increase because you've taken on a grandchild. But the child-related payments you can stack on top — FTB Part A, FTB Part B, Double Orphan Pension — are where the financial difference comes from. The concession cards reduce what you spend; the payments increase what comes in.

Making the Most of Multiple Cards

A practical example: you're a single grandparent on the Age Pension raising a 7-year-old grandchild. You hold a Pensioner Concession Card. The child has a Foster Child Health Care Card. You also receive FTB Part A and Part B.

At the pharmacy, you use the child's FCHCC for their prescriptions and your PCC for yours — both at concessional rates. Your state's energy rebate applies to your household. The child's card qualifies them for reduced-cost ambulance cover in states that offer it.

The Centrelink Payments for Grandparents guide includes a concession card comparison table and the exact application steps for each card, so you can claim everything the child and you are entitled to without making multiple trips to the service centre.

See more Australia guides →