Age Pension explained: age, residence and the basics

Age 67, ten years of residence, and two means tests — the three gates every Age Pension claim must pass.

The three gates

To get the Age Pension you must be all of the following: 67 years or older, an Australian resident who meets the residence rules, and under the income and assets test limits. Meeting one gate does not carry you through the others — a 67-year-old with too much income or too many assets can still be refused, and a person who passes both means tests but has not lived in Australia long enough can also be refused.

The pension age is 67 for everyone born on or after 1 January 1957. There is no earlier pension age for women, and reaching 67 does not start payments automatically — you must claim. You can claim up to 13 weeks before your 67th birthday so payments can start without a gap.

The residence rule

You must be an Australian resident, living in Australia when you claim, and you must normally have lived in Australia for at least 10 years in total, including at least 5 years continuously. Time spent in some other countries can count towards the 10 years if Australia has an international social security agreement with that country — Australia has agreements with more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Italy.

Refugees and some other groups can be exempt from parts of the residence rule. If your residence history is complicated — years overseas, time in an agreement country, or a late arrival in Australia — ask Services Australia to check your record before you assume you qualify or do not qualify.

What the pension is — and is not

The Age Pension is a fortnightly, means-tested payment, not a refund of taxes you paid and not a fixed entitlement for reaching 67. The amount depends on your income, your assets, your relationship status and whether you own your home. It is taxable income, although tax is not deducted automatically, and the Seniors and Pensioners Tax Offset usually means little or no tax is payable on the pension alone.

People who are permanently blind are assessed differently: in most cases Services Australia does not apply the income test to a permanently blind pensioner (unless they receive Rent Assistance or their partner receives a payment and is not also blind). If this applies to you, check the blind pension rules rather than the standard means tests on this site.

Official links

Verify every figure on this page at Services Australia:

• Age Pension — Services Australia