Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test limits
This explanation covers Australia’s Low Income Health Care Card income test limits, using the published government rules and their stated scope.
- Claim or renew, single, no children
- Under A$826.00 a week or A$6,608.00 in 8 weeksServices Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test
- Keep the card, single, no children
- Under A$1,032.50 a week or A$8,260.00 in 8 weeksServices Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test
The income test
A Low Income Health Care Card is valid for 12 months, and there are 2 income test limits: one for claiming or renewing a card and one for keeping it. Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test (opens in a new tab).
For a claim or renewal, Services Australia assesses gross income before tax from the 8 weeks before the claim. Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test (opens in a new tab).
Current limits
To claim or renew, gross weekly income must be below A$826.00 for a single person with no children, A$1,410.00 for a couple with no children or a single person with one dependent child, and A$1,444.00 for a couple with one child, plus A$34.00 for each extra child. Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test (opens in a new tab).
To keep the card, the weekly limits are A$1,032.50, A$1,762.50, A$1,762.50 and A$1,805.00 for the same situations, plus A$42.50 for each extra dependent child, and the card is cancelled if income is over the limit in any 8 week period before it expires. Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card income test (opens in a new tab).
What the card covers
The card gives access to cheaper medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bulk billed doctor visits at the doctor’s discretion and a bigger refund once the Medicare Safety Net is reached. Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card benefits (opens in a new tab).
Some state and territory governments and local council areas offer other benefits to cardholders, such as lower electricity, water or public transport costs. Services Australia Low Income Health Care Card benefits (opens in a new tab).
This general explanation provides no personal eligibility decision, payment estimate or recommendation. No matching calculator or numerical worked example is provided.