# GP Medical card, is State Pension included as income?



## Bronco Lane (17 Jun 2018)

When assessing income threshold for a GP medical card is the state pension included as income?

I am aged over 66 but under 70. Married. I have a private pension of €400 per week and State Pension of c€243.

Thanks


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## Conan (17 Jun 2018)

Yes, all “income”. 
But for a couple the income limit is currently €900pw when you reach age 70.


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## Bronco Lane (20 Jun 2018)

On the Citizens Information site it says this below. Where does the €900 limit come from?

*"The GP visit card is available to everyone aged over 70 without an income test."*
*
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/medical_cards_and_gp_visit_cards/gp_visit_cards.html*


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## gipimann (20 Jun 2018)

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...t_cards/medical_card_means_test_over_70s.html
Means test information for the medical card for over 70s.

The link in the previous post is for GP visit cards, not medical cards.


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## Early Riser (20 Jun 2018)

Bronco Lane said:


> When assessing income threshold for a GP medical card is the state pension included as income?
> 
> I am aged over 66 but under 70. Married. I have a private pension of €400 per week and State Pension of c€243.



No mention of state pension in the income excluded:

_*Income not taken into account *_

_*Certain compensation awards:*

_

_Compensation payments made by the Residential Institutions Redress Board _
_Repayments made under the Health (Repayment) Scheme (that is, the Nursing Home repayment scheme) _
_Awards made to people who contracted Hepatitis C or HIV from contaminated blood products (together with income from the investment of that money) _
_Ex-gratia payments approved by the Lourdes Hospital Redress Board under the terms of the Lourdes Hospital Redress Scheme 2007 _
_ 
*Certain payments made by the State:*

_

_*HSE payments*: Mobility Allowance, Blind Welfare Allowance_
_*Social welfare payments*: Family Income Supplement, Child Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Guardian's Payments; weekly supplements (such as a diet or heating supplement) paid under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme; Fuel, Island, Living Alone and Over 80 Allowances_
_*Other payments*: Third-level educational maintenance grants; Rehabilitation Maintenance Allowance; earnings from employment of a rehabilitative nature (up to €120.00 per week), Foster Care Allowance._


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## Bronco Lane (20 Jun 2018)

O.K. I am getting a bit confused. I am only talking about a *GP Visit Medical Card.* Conan are you talking about the GP card or Medical card?

It appears because I have a private pension of €400 per week plus €243 state pension I do not qualify for a GP Visit Medical card because I am under 70. It appears that €447 is the income limit?

Can my wife who is aged 66 qualify for a *GP visit medical card* in her own right. Her sole income is Illness benefit. Or are Husband & Wives income taken together?


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## POC (20 Jun 2018)

I think the correct terms are ‘GP visit card’ and ‘Medical card’. So the OP is confusing the rest of us by combining the names. There is no such thing as a ‘GP visit medical card’.


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## Conan (20 Jun 2018)

Everybody over age 70 gets the Free GP Visit card. No means test. That entitles you to free GP visits.
The Full Medical Card is means tested as I outlined earlier.


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## Bedlam (21 Aug 2018)

Good Morning 

A further query please on this subject. Does anyone know what the notional rate of interest is applied by the HSE to the balance of monies held on deposit for the purpose of the means test.   

Thanks

Bedlam


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## Black Sheep (21 Aug 2018)

Not sure what the notional rate is at the moment,but if you get the interest statements from you bank the actual rate is always much  lower than the notional rate.


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## Bedlam (22 Aug 2018)

Hi Black Sheep

Thanks for this information, can the Bank Rate be used when it is lower than the notional rate in working out the figures?

Regards

Bedlam


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## Straight Gent (23 Oct 2018)

Hi all. Does anyone know how the HSE medical card means test treats investments in Prize Bonds where there is no interest but occasional "wins".


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