Pension eligibility

To be eligible for the Age Pension you must meet certain criteria which is assessed by the Department of Human Services. This includes:

Qualification age

From 1 July 2017, the qualification age for the Age Pension began to rise. It is increasing by six month every two years, until it reaches 67 by 1 July 2023.

Residency requirements

When claiming the Age Pension, you must be resident in the country and must have lived in Australia as a citizen or permanent resident for a continuous period of 10 years, or for several periods which total over 10 years and include a continuous period of five years in total. There are certain exemptions and you can find out more at HumanServices.gov.au

Income test

Any income you earn will be subject to the income test to assess whether or not you will be granted an Age Pension. Currently you can earn $178 per fortnight for singles before your Age Pension is affected. If you chose to work past Age Pension age, the Work Bonus will be applied and $300 of income from wages will be excluded from assessment.

Asset test

Your claim for an Age Pension will also be subject to an asset test and should you exceed the asset disqualification limit, you will not receive an Age Pension. There are certain exemptions from the asset test, such as your main residence if owned. The current asset disqualification limits for a single, full Age Pension applicant are $268,000 for a homeowner and $482,500 for a non-homeowner.

You can find out more about Age Pension eligibility by viewing our articles below.