Community Services Card
The Community Services Card can help you and your family with the costs of health care. You'll pay less on some health services and prescriptions.
How it can be used
The Community Services Card can reduce the cost of:
- prescription fees
- fees for after hours doctor visits
- visits to a doctor who is not your regular doctor
- glasses for children under 16
- emergency dental care provided by hospitals and approved dental contractors (ask the dental provider if they are an approved contractor)
- travel and accommodation for treatment at a public hospital outside your area when you have been referred (at least 80km away for adults and 25km for children)
- home help.
You can use your card for your dependent children aged under 18 years.
If you are getting one of the following types of help you (or your child, in some cases) will automatically be issued with a Community Services Card.
- Child Disability Allowance
- Domestic Purposes Benefit
- Emergency Benefit
- Independent Youth Benefit
- Invalids Benefit
- Orphans Benefit
- Residential Care Subsidy
- Sickness Benefit
- Student Allowance
- Unemployment Benefit
- Unsupported Childs Benefit
- Veterans Pension
- Widows Benefit.
We administer the Community Services Card on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
Who can get it
You may get the Community Services Card if you are:
- 18 years old or over (or 16-17 years old in full-time tertiary study)
- on a low to middle income (the amount depends on your family situation)
- a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
You should also normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
You may also get the card if you have refugee status or have applied for refugee status.
If you cannot get the Community Services Card you may be able to get some other type of help for your health costs. Ask your pharmacist about the Prescription Subsidy Card or your doctor about a High Use Health Card. Our brochure below has more details.
This information is a guide only. Please contact us to talk about your individual circumstances.
How to apply
You will need to get an application form, fill it in and send it to us.
You can get an application form in any of these ways:
- download the application form below
- ring us on 0800 999 999 and ask for one
- fax us on our DeafLink free-fax 0800 621 621
- call into a Work and Income service centre
- ask your family doctor or pharmacy.
Reimbursement of Health Overcharges Application Form (PDF 116.66KB)
If you paid the full costs for General Practitioner consultations and prescriptions because you didn't have your Community Services Card, a High Use Health Card or Pharmaceutical Subsidy Card with you when you went for treatment, your payment could be reimbursed back to you.