Frequently Asked Questions

General

Who is a companion?
What is attendant care support?
Can I apply for a Companion Card if I have a temporary disability?
Can I use the Companion Card outside South Australia?
Why isn’t my date of birth included on the Companion Card?
Are there any income or asset tests applied to Companion Card?

Who is a companion?

A companion is anyone who provides essential attendant care support to a person with a significant and permanent disability.
The person with a disability is the Companion Card holder; therefore a companion will not necessarily be the same person each time.

What is attendant care support?

Attendant care support includes significant assistance with mobility, communication, self care or learning, where the use of aids, equipment or alternative strategies does not enable the person to carry out these tasks without assistance.

Can I apply for a Companion Card if I have a temporary disability?

If you require a companion to assist you to participate at community activities due to a temporary disability, you are not eligible to receive a Companion Card. It is up to the individual and the venue/activity operators to negotiate an alternative method to verify the need for a companion ticket.

The Companion Card is issued to people with significant, permanent disabilities who always require attendant care support from a companion to participate at most community venues and activities.

The Companion Card must only be used in those instances where you require assistance from a companion to participate at that particular venue or activity.

Can I use the Companion Card outside South Australia?

Yes. The Companion Card program also operates in ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.

Why isn’t my date of birth included on the Companion Card?

The Companion Card is not a proof of age card; it simply identifies the cardholder as someone who, due to a permanent disability, always requires the attendant care support from a companion to participate at most community venues and activities.

The application process for the Companion Card does not ask applicants to provide a copy of their birth certificate or other proof of age documentation. As the date of birth provided on the application form is not verified through documentation, it cannot be added to the Card as proof of age identification.

Are there any income or asset tests applied to Companion Card?

There are no income or assets tests applied to applications for a Companion Card.

The Companion Card® is co-managed by the South Australian Government Department for Communities and Social Inclusion and National Disability Services South Australian Division. The Companion Card® is a registered trademark owned by the State of Victoria. © Copyright State of Victoria