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Am I eligible for the Age Pension?

The Age Pension is one of the ‘three pillars of retirement income’ in Australia – along with superannuation and private savings. It plays a critical role in retirement income for many, including retirees who are substantially self-funded.

Around two thirds of Australians aged over 67 currently receive at least some Age Pension, with 41% on the full pension and 25% on a part pension. So don’t assume you won’t be eligible – you could be pleasantly surprised.

Your eligibility for the Australian Age Pension depends on your age, residency and whether you pass means tests based on your assets and income.

Age rules

The first requirement that you must satisfy to be eligible for the Age Pension is reaching the minimum age, which increased to 67 years from 1 July 2023.

What is your Age Pension (and Preservation) age?

The tool below can help you calculate your Age Pension age. All you need to do is enter your date of birth.

This tool also calculates your preservation age (which is the age you can access your super if you meet a condition of release, such as retiring or turning 65 years of age). Like the Age Pension eligibility age, your preservation age depends on your date of birth.

Note: When the calculator first appears, by default it shows the result for 1st January 1960.

In the calculator below

  1. Click on the date.
  2. Select the year of your birth from the dropdown menu
  3. Select ‘next’ until you find the month of your birth, then select your birthday
  4. If you were born before 1 January 1949 you will also need to select your sex.

Learn more about Age Pension age.

Residency rules

You must also be an Australian resident to qualify for the Age Pension, along with meeting at least one of the following criteria:

  • You have been an Australian resident for at least ten years (and at least five of those years have been consecutive).
  • You have been a female Australian resident for the past two years and you are the widow of an Australian resident.
  • You were receiving an Australian widow’s pension or allowance (or a partner allowance) immediately before you reached your pension eligibility age.

There are some limited exceptions to the above criteria. For example, Australia has an arrangement with New Zealand that their citizens who are Australian residents can receive an Australian Age Pension, provided they also meet the age eligibility requirement and they pass the means tests.

In addition, refugees, former refugees and their family members have a qualifying residence exemption. This allows them to qualify for the Australian Age Pension if they meet all other eligibility requirements.

Learn more about Age Pension residency rules.

Means tests

Means tests for the Age Pension include both an assets test and an income test. You need to pass both tests, and the results affect how much Age Pension you’re entitled to receive.


Need to know: Centrelink can continue to assess the value of assets you have given away in means tests for 5 years. Learn more about gifting rules


Assets test

The market value of any assets that you or your partner own will be assessed by Centrelink to determine your potential eligibility for the Age Pension.

Your residential home is not included in the assets test, but nearly all your other assets will be, including your superannuation.

There are limits on the value of the assets you (and your partner combined) can own to be eligible for either a full or part pension. The limits depend on whether you own your own home, as well as your living arrangements (including if you have a partner and whether they are age-eligible for the pension). These limits are outlined in the table below.

Assets limits for a full Age Pension

SituationLatest limit Previous limit Increase
SingleHomeowner$314,000$301,750$12,250
SingleNon-homeowner$566,000$543,750$22,250
Couple (combined)Homeowner$470,000$451,500$18,500
Couple (combined)Non-homeowner$722,000$693,500$28,500
  • Latest limits apply 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
  • Previous limits apply 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024

Source: Services Australia

Once you exceed these limits, your pension reduces by $3 per fortnight for every $1,000 of excess assets. For example, if your assets exceed your limit by $30,000, your fortnightly pension payment would decrease by $90 per fortnight (i.e. 30 x $3). The amount of Age Pension you are eligible for cuts off completely when the value of your assets exceeds the figures below.

Assets limits for a part Age Pension (residents)

SituationLatest limitPrevious limitIncrease
SingleHomeowner$697,000$695,500$1,500
SingleNon-homeowner$949,000$947,500$1,500
Couple (combined)Homeowner$1,047,500$1,045,500$2,000
Couple (combined)Non-homeowner$1,299,500$1,297,500$2,000
Couple (illness-separated, combined)Homeowner$1,236,500$1,233,500$3,000
Couple (illness-separated, combined)Non-homeowner$1,488,000$1,485,000$3,000
  • Latest limits apply 20 March 2025 to 19 September 2025
  • Previous limits apply 20 September 2024 to 19 March 2025

Source: Services Australia

Learn more about the Age Pension assets test.

Try our Age Pension calculator to get an indication of your potential Age Pension entitlements.

Income test

Centrelink will also assess your income from all sources (including income from your superannuation and other investments) to determine your eligibility for the Age Pension. It’s important to understand that Centrelink use deeming rates to calculate a standardised return you’re likely to get from different types of investments you may have, regardless of whether you actually earn that return or not.

Income limits for a full Age Pension

SituationLatest fortnightly limitLatest annual limit*Previous fortnightly limitPrevious annual limit*Fortnightly increaseAnnual increase*
Single$212$5,512$204$5,304$8.00$208
Couple (combined)$372$9,672$360$9,360$12.00$312
Couple (illness-separated, combined)$372$9,672$360$9,360$12.00$312
  • Latest limits apply 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
  • Previous limits apply 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024

Source: Services AustraliaAnnual amounts are approximate.

If your income is above the thresholds in the above table, you may still be eligible for a part Age Pension. The amount of Age Pension you are eligible for progressively reduces by 50 cents for each dollar earned until it cuts out completely when your income exceeds the figures below.

Income limits for a part Age Pension (residents)

SituationLatest fortnightly limitLatest annual limit*Previous fortnightly limitPrevious annual limit*Fortnightly increaseAnnual increase*
Single$2,510.00$65,260$2,500.80$65,021$9.20$255
Couple (combined)$3,836.40$99,746$3,822.40$99,382$14.00$364
Couple (illness-separated, combined)$4,968.00$129,168$4,949.60$128,690$18.40$478
  • Latest limits apply 20 March 2025 to 19 September 2025
  • Previous limits apply 20 September 2024 to 19 March 2025

Source: Services Australia

The work bonus

Age Pensioners who are still doing some paid work can earn up to $300 per fortnight and not have this amount included in their income test for the Age Pension. This is known as a ‘work bonus’.

This amount can be accumulated up to an amount of $11,800 to offset against any future employment income that would be assessable under the income test. You don’t need to apply for the work bonus; Centrelink will automatically apply it to your income test.

Learn more about the Age Pension income test and the work bonus.

Are the income and assets test limits combined to reduce your pension?

No. If you pass the thresholds in both your income and assets tests, your pension will not be reduced by the combined amount calculated using both tests. However, you must pass both tests and the amount of Age Pension you are paid is based on the test that gives you the lower amount.

This is best explained using an example.


Example

Sarah is a single homeowner who is eligible for the Age Pension.

Assets

She has $350,000 worth of assets. She therefore exceeds the full Age Pension assets limit for a single homeowner by $36,000 (ie. $350,000 minus $314,000).

This reduces her fortnightly pension entitlement by $108 using the ‘$3 per $1,000 of excess assets’ rule.

Income

Sarah also exceeds the Age Pension income test limit for a single person because she earns $358 per fortnight. Her employment income is assessed as $58 per fortnight after the $300 work bonus is applied. 

Sarah also has deemed income from her financial assets. While she has $350,000 of total assets, only $330,000 of those are financial assets which deemed income is calculated from. Her deemed income is $237 per fortnight, so along with her work income her income is assessed as $295 per fortnight.

$295 per fortnight is $83 over her income limit (ie. $295 minus $212) and her Age Pension would be reduced accordingly by $41.50 using the income test calculation method (or 50 cents for every dollar she earns over her limit).

Sarah’s Age Pension rate

In Sarah’s situation, her Age Pension will be reduced by the greater reduction – that is the amount from her Assets test calculation.

In other words, her fortnightly pension would be reduced by $108. The $41.50 reduction obtained using the income test calculation method would not be applied to her Age Pension at all.

Sarah would therefore receive an Age Pension of $1,041.00 per fortnight ($1,149.00 minus $108).


Age Pension rates

The maximum current fortnightly pension rates for singles and couples who are eligible for the Age Pension are outlined in the table below. The amounts for Age Pensioners who also qualify for the Pension and Energy supplements is also shown.

Age Pension rates for a single person

AmountIncrease
Maximum base rate$1,051.30$4.20
Maximum pension supplement$83.60$0.40
Energy supplement$14.10
Total (per fortnight)$1,149.00$4.60
Total (per year)*$29,874$119.60

Age Pension rates for a couple living together

Amount (each)Increase (each)Amount (combined)Increase (combined)
Maximum base rate$792.50$3.20$1,585.00$6.40
Maximum pension supplement$63.00$0.30$126.00$0.60
Energy supplement$10.60$21.20
Total (per fortnight)$866.10$3.50$1,732.20$7.00
Total (per year)*$22,519$91.00$45,037$182.00

Source: Services Australia. Applicable 20 March 2025 to 19 September 2025

*Annual amounts are approximate.

Note that single Age Pensioners and couples living apart receive the same amount – higher than couples who are living together. 

If you exceed the assets test or income test limits you may be eligible for a part Age Pension. The amount you receive progressively decreases depending on the value of your assets and income, and you receive the lower amount based on both tests.

There are also different rates for some pensioners who were on the Age Pension before 2009 (transitional rates) and different rates for non-residents.

Learn more about the latest Age Pension rates.

Try our Age Pension calculator to get an indication of your potential Age Pension entitlements.

What happens if only one member of a couple is eligible for the Age Pension?

This is a common question. Does the person who is eligible receive the single rate or half of the combined couple rate?

The answer is half the combined couple rate and is best illustrated with an example.

Example

Bill reached his Age Pension eligibility age of 67 years in January 2025. He meets the Age Pension residency requirements and passed both the assets and income tests, not reaching the lower thresholds of either one.

He is therefore eligible for the maximum Age Pension.

However, his partner Sue is only 62 and she is therefore not yet old enough to be eligible for the Age Pension.

Using the Age Pension rate table provided above, Bill would be entitled to the maximum Age Pension of $792.50 for each eligible person in a couple living arrangement.

Bill would also be entitled to the maximum pension supplement of $63.00.

He would not be eligible for the energy supplement because this is only available for people who had a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card before 20 September 2016.

How do I apply for the Age Pension?

When you apply for the Age Pension you’re joining a long queue and making mistakes can cause delays and frustration.

To give yourself the best chance of getting it right the first time, follow our step-by-step guide to applying for the Age Pension.

Eligibility for rent assistance

If you get the Age Pension you may also be eligible for rent assistance. The amount you can get depends on your living arrangements (including whether or not you have any dependent children), as well as how much rent you actually pay.

Learn more about rent assistance.

If you’re receiving the Age Pension, you must let Centrelink know about any changes to your circumstances that could affect your entitlements within 14 days.

These changes could include:

  • Income changes (either your own or your partner’s)
  • Asset changes (either your own or your partner’s)
  • A change in your living arrangements (for example, you stop living with your partner)
  • The death of your partner
  • Getting married or moving in with a partner.

Failure to notify Centrelink of these changes could result in you being overpaid. If you are, you’ll be required to repay the money, including interest.

The bottom line

Your eligibility for the Age Pension depends on your age, residency and whether you pass the assets and income tests. The amount of Age Pension you’re entitled to also depends on your living arrangements. If you’re receiving an Age Pension, you must keep Centrelink informed of any changes to your financial circumstances or to your living arrangements.

The information contained in this article is general in nature.

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