The Pension Loan Scheme (PLS) was enhanced in the budget last week. Many of our readers have asked that we tell them a bit more about how this works. So what is it? The Pension Loan Scheme allows people to top up to an amount of up to 150 per...
Centrelink Age Pension Articles
Did seniors benefit from the budget?
The 2021 Federal Budget The 2021 Federal budget has promised a number of funding increases to help boost the economy. Several of the initiatives will benefit senior Australians by providing better access to support services and also enabling many to top up...
What might seniors hope for in the budget?
We are a diverse lot in Australia and there will be lots of opinions about what the Treasurer should include in the Federal budget. While we don’t have any inside knowledge we do hear from a lot of our customers and colleagues in the industry. So what are...
Increases to the Age Pension March 2021
Centrelink have announced changes to the Age Pension payment rates and also to the income and asset thresholds. This means more money in the pockets of Australian Seniors. So what are the changes? Pension Rates The full Age Pension rate for a...
What gets better with age?
The Age Pension gets better Some things just get better with age. Some cheeses, great Australian red wines, and the Age Pension. How’s that, you ask More people are eligible at older ages. And many people move to a higher Age Pension as they age and...
Will Age Pension rates increase in March?
Last September, for the first time since 1997, Age Pensioners didn’t receive an increase in their pension rates. The reason for this was that both inflation (CPI) and the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI) were negative. One of...
A Universal Age Pension – This is what you told us
We asked - This is what you told us A few weeks ago we asked our readers what they thought about the idea of a universal age pension. The results were overwhelming. More people responded to the survey and commented on our article than any other piece we...
How could an inheritance affect your entitlements?
Many of our customers have asked us this question. As life expectancy increases it is no longer unusual for people to receive an inheritance much later in life. If you do receive a lump sum inheritance, or any lump sum, you need to be aware of a few...
Should Deeming Rates be Lowered
What’s happening with deeming rates? Interests rates are now at record lows with the Reserve Bank cutting the official rate to just 0.1%. Deeming rates are now also the lowest they have ever been. The lower threshold is at 0.25% with the upper...