Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Income Test Calculator 2026
Check the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income test: the $105,048 single and $168,076 couple limits, adjusted taxable income and deemed income on account-based pensions.
Read the full answer — method, rates and figures
Quick answer: To get a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card you must be Age Pension age (67), not be getting an income support payment such as the Age Pension, and pass an income test: adjusted taxable income under $105,048 a year if you are single or $168,076 combined for a couple ($210,096 if separated by illness, respite care or prison), plus $640 for each child in your care. There is no assets test.
Account-based pensions count through deeming, not the payments you draw: the balance is deemed to earn 1.75% up to $66,800 single ($55,300 each for a couple) and 3.75% above. So a single retiree with no other income keeps the card with up to about $2,836,907 in an account-based pension, and a couple with about $4,541,013 split evenly.
Example: taxable income of $30,000 and a $600,000 account-based pension gives assessed income of $51,164, $53,884 under the limit. Limits are indexed each 20 September.
Source: Services Australia, read 29 September 2026.
Am I eligible for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?
Yes if you are 67 or older, not on the Age Pension, and your adjusted taxable income plus deemed income on account-based pensions is under $105,048 (single) or $168,076 (couple). There is no assets test.
Eligible?
Yes
Assessed income
$51,164
Income limit
$105,048
Room left
$53,884
Taxable income $30,000 + add-backs $0 + deemed income on account-based pensions $21,164 = $51,164, against a limit of $105,048. You pass the income test with $53,884 to spare.
Last reviewed 29 September 2026 by the Richify AI agent team.
Reviewed by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one.
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Assessed income = taxable income + target foreign income + total net investment losses + reportable fringe benefits over $1,000 + reportable super contributions + deemed income on account-based pensions. Deeming uses 1.75% up to $66,800 for a single person and $55,300 for each member of a couple where neither gets a pension, and 3.75% above. You qualify if assessed income is under $105,048 single, $168,076 couple or $210,096 separated couple, plus $640 per child. The calculator does not check residence, age or identity rules, and it does not deem bank accounts or shares: for this card their actual interest and dividends count through taxable income.
How much super can you have and keep the card?
There is no assets test, so the limit on super comes through deeming. With no other income, a single person reaches the $105,048 limit at an account-based pension of about $2,836,907, and a couple with balances split evenly at about $4,541,013 combined. Each dollar of other taxable income lowers that ceiling by about $26.67 of balance. The transfer balance cap also limits how much super one person can move into pension phase.
| Account-based pension (single) | Deemed income a year | Other income allowed |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $17,414 | $87,634 |
| $1,000,000 | $36,164 | $68,884 |
| $1,500,000 | $54,914 | $50,134 |
| $2,000,000 | $73,664 | $31,384 |
| $2,500,000 | $92,414 | $12,634 |
Other income allowed = the $105,048 single limit minus deemed income, in taxable income and add-backs. Services Australia income test and deeming pages, read 29 September 2026.
Seniors Health Card or the Age Pension?
The card is for retirees who are 67 or older but do not get the Age Pension, usually because their assets are over the assets-test cut-off. If your assets fall later, check the Age Pension calculator: even a small part pension comes with the Pensioner Concession Card and is paid every fortnight. Retirees still building their balance can compare it with the average super balance by age, and anyone caring for a partner should check the Carer Payment calculator, which uses the pension means test instead.
How to use this calculator
- Choose single, couple, or couple separated by illness, respite care or prison, and add any children in your care.
- Enter your taxable income for the year (both of you for a couple).
- Add foreign income, net investment losses, reportable super contributions and fringe benefits over $1,000.
- Enter each account-based pension balance.
- Read your assessed income against the limit, and how much room you have left.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the income limit for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card in 2026?
$105,048 a year for a single person, $168,076 combined for a couple, and $210,096 for a couple separated by illness, respite care or prison. Add $640 for each child in your care.
Services Australia reviews the limits every 20 September in line with CPI, so these apply until September 2027.
Is there an assets test for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?
No. Only income is tested. Your home, investment property, shares and bank balances do not count as assets for the card.
Their income does: rent, interest and dividends are part of your taxable income, and account-based pension balances are deemed.
How does my account-based pension affect the card?
Payments from an account-based pension after 60 are tax-free, so they are not in your taxable income. Instead Services Australia deems the balance to earn 1.75% on the first $66,800 (single) or $55,300 each (a couple where neither gets a pension) and 3.75% above, and adds that to your adjusted taxable income.
A $1,000,000 balance for a single person is deemed at $36,164 a year. Streams you held before 1 January 2015, with a card granted before then, are not deemed.
What counts as adjusted taxable income for the card?
Your taxable income (and your partner's), plus target foreign income, total net investment losses (for example a negatively geared property), reportable fringe benefits over $1,000, reportable super contributions such as personal deductible contributions, and the deemed income from account-based income streams. Tax-free Centrelink or DVA pensions are not added for this card.
Can I get the card if I get the Age Pension?
No. The card is for people of Age Pension age who do not get an income support payment. Age pensioners get a Pensioner Concession Card instead, which gives similar or better concessions.
Many retirees get the Seniors Health Card precisely because their assets are too high for the Age Pension but their assessed income is under the limit.
What does the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card give you?
Its main benefit is cheaper medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, at the concessional rate. State and territory governments and some businesses add their own concessions, which vary by state.
Check the current list with Services Australia and your state government before relying on any one of them.
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Further Reading
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