Age Pension

Age Pension

Age pension is the main income support payment for people who have reached Age Pension age. To get this you must be:

1. the qualifying age or older;
2. under the income and assets test limits and;
3. an Australian resident, normally for at least 10 years.

Qualifying age

Age Pension age has been slowly increasing from 65 to 67 years. It’ll increase by 6 months every 2 years until Age Pension age is 67 on 1 July 2023.

Residence rules

• Must be an Australian resident and in Australia on the day the claim is lodged, unless claiming under an International Social Security Agreement.
• Must have been an Australian resident for a continuous period of at least 10 years, or
• Must have been an Australian resident for a number of periods that total more than 10 years, at least five of these years in one continuous period, or
• Have a qualifying residence exemption (arrived as refugee or under a special program), or
• A woman who is widowed in Australia, when both she and her late partner were Australian residents and who has 104 weeks residence immediately prior to claim, or
• Person was in receipt of Widow B Pension, Widow Allowance or Partner Allowance immediately before turning pension age, or
• A woman who has reached Age Pension age and on19 March 2020 was in receipt of Wife Pension and not in receipt of Carer Allowance but does not otherwise qualify for Age Pension.
• Can generally be paid for the total period of absence from Australia (some exceptions may apply), however, after 26 weeks the rate may change.

How much Age Pension can you receive?

There are different rates of Age Pension payments for single people and couples. The Department of Social Services reviews payment rates on 20 March and 20 September each year. 

Basic rates

* Eligible pensioners may also receive Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement.

For singles, the fortnightly maximum payment rate for the Age Pension including the Pension Supplement ($70.30) and the Energy Supplement ($14.10) is $952.70. For each member of a couple, the fortnightly maximum payment rate for the Age Pension including the Pension Supplement ($53 each) and the Energy Supplement

If a couple is separated because of illness, they may each be able to be paid at the single pension rate. The combined income and assets of the couple are used to work out their rates.

Services Australia uses income and assets tests to work out how much Age Pension you may be entitled to. Whichever test results in the lowest entitlement (or no entitlement) is the test that will be applied.

For specific information on these two tests, please refer to the Asset and Income Test Thresholds article.

Travel outside Australia

You can normally get Age Pension for the whole time you’re outside Australia. Even if you live in another country for a while. Services Australia bases the amount they can pay you on how long you’re away.

If you leave Australia for less than 6 weeks your Age Pension rate normally won’t change. When you leave Australia for more than 6 weeks, your Pension Supplement will drop to the basic rate and your Energy Supplement will stop.

If you leave Australia for more than 6 months (26 weeks) your rate will depend on how long you were an Australian resident between age 16 and Age Pension age. If you were an Australian resident for 35 years or more, your rate normally won’t change. If less than 35 years, you’ll normally get a lower rate.

For example, if you were a resident for 10 years, you’ll get 10/35^ths (i.e. 29%) of your usual rate.

For more information please visit payments while outside Australia.