Less than 4 in 10 seniors are satisfied with the current Centrelink Age Pension application process with 82% of people seeking assistance with their application process – not feeling confident enough to go it alone.
It seems that not a day goes by without hearing about the nightmare Seniors across Australia are enduring when applying for the Age Pension with Centrelink. Studies published by National Seniors Australia and featured on A Current Affair point to how widespread the problem is.
At last, Senior Australians no longer have to ‘go it alone’ – there is now a professional service that offers a helping hand when applying for the Age Pension and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC). Retirement Essentials provides you with:
- Someone ‘in your corner’ to help you understand how it all works
- A ‘helping hand’ to make sure that your forms are filled in correctly
- ONE point of contact to avoid the backwards and forwards with Centrelink
- The confidence you’re getting all you are you’re entitled to receive
How does the Application service work?
First, check what you could be eligible for using our Age Pension calculator. Our calculator applies the latest Centrelink rules to give you a quick, free and anonymous assessment for both the Age Pension and the CSHC. Once you know what you could be eligible for, our service will guide you through all the steps you need to take to submit your application to Centrelink.
Allyson Bailie
Head of Customer Experience
Our Age Pension and CSHC Specialists are available on the phone to guide you through our easy to use website. After you have answered all the questions, we finalise your application (making sure you have not missed anything) and post your completed forms to you. Once you’ve reviewed your forms in the comfort of your own home, you are ready to drop them off at your nearest Centrelink Service Centre. We’ll make sure you that have a list of all the supporting documents you’ll need so that you are in and out of there as quickly as possible.
But don’t take our word for it, here’s what our customers have to say:
“I really appreciated being able to speak with the Age Pension Specialist who helped me get started with the online application. Plus I loved getting all my completed forms in the mail. It was all really simple!” Vickie (Jindabyne, NSW)
“Retirement Essentials made the process of completing all the paperwork for the Age Pension so much easier. We would have been lost without their help. It was a delight to deal with their staff and I will be recommending Retirement Essentials to all my friends.” Tim (Glendale, NSW)
We would love to give you a helping hand so that you don’t have to deal with Centrelink on your own. To learn more about Retirement Essentials visit our website at www.retirementessentials.com.au or call us on 1300 527 727 during office hours.
How much does it cost to get the agency pension application assistance
Hi Ram
We provide a helping hand to make it easier for you to get access to your Age Pension entitlement.
If you would like to apply with us why not give us a call on 1300 527 727 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
What state are you in or is it all done over the net
Good afternoon Roslyn,
We are based in North Sydney, NSW.
Do you help with other forms like Disability pension etc ?
Unfortunately no Wendy, we only specialise in the Age Pension – sorry
How long after the application is sent for the pension payments?
Hi there
Centrelink’s Age Pension approval timeframes vary significantly. For our customers we are seeing approvals come through on average within 7-8 weeks.
In my application for the Seniors Health card there is a requirement for the Centrelink Income Stream Statement. I contacted my Super but they have sent me the latest statement. Does that matter as I am providing financials from my 2018-2019 year because my 2019-2020 tax return has only just been submitted. Please advise if the Statement provided by my Super is sufficient.
Hi Howard,
Thank you for reaching out. A Centrelink Income Stream Schedule is a specific kind of statement that is usually only available upon request that includes a summary breakdown of your superannuation income stream using information Centrelink needs. You would need to call or email your superannuation company to obtain this document and proceed.
Many thanks
What is your fee?
Hi Wayne. The fee for our Age Pension and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card application service is from $396
Hello,
i am in a last stage of going for bankruptcy.
What happens in my case?? I have already been to centrelink and told them I have financial difficulties and will have major difficulties in 12-18 months.
I have 90k in the bank but have 730K in loans outstanding.
What will happen in my life. I owe me son 10k he lent me so have 80k left for the rest of my life.
Please help if you can…..thanks
Hi Peter. I am sorry about your circumstances. We can help with applications for the Age Pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card but not with bankruptcy. There are some fincnail counselling services you might be able to access to support with this. One place to start your search would be Money Smart
I am due to get the aged pension from April 2022
And apply from January 2022
Should I talk to you guys now or wait till then
Hi Paul, if you have questions or concerns about your situation and are looking for assistance with preparing yourself to apply then we do have a phone consultation service that we could offer you now to help get yourself ready. If you are happy with your current situation and simply want to know how much lead time you need then there is no need to start your application just yet, reach out to us in January once you are within 13 weeks of being eligible.
Hi, I will be retiring in Jan 2022. just looking at all the paper work and my head is spinning already. Apart from helping my wife and I apply for the age pension, I’m 68 and my wife 71. My wife arrived in Australia some 40 years ago, has divorced and remarried (me) we have no documentation/ pass port ect of her gaining permanent residency, is this something you help with?
Hi Terry, thank you for reaching out for assistance. We are unable to request/arrange the necessary documents for you however we can help you get prepared. If you CLICK HERE you can review the list of documents that Centrelink will accept so that you can see what you currently have and what you may need to obtain between now and when you apply in January.
I would like to know how much you charge for aged pension application, and related cards. I have rented my principal place of residence out short term and rent in another city. I guess that means my principal place of residence will now be classed as an asset and would go through an asset test.
Hi Christopher, thanks for contacting us. Our fees differ according to your circumstances, which vary between different customers. A basic overview is:
Prices range from $296 – $850
Our application concierge service starts at $296. It increases with the complexity of an applicant’s circumstances.
The factors we take into account include your marital status, living situation, nature of employment (if any) Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSF), and the number of investment properties, complex investments, companies and trusts.
Following the completion of your application we will assess your level of complexity and provide you with a quote.
We also offer a Phone Application service which provides you the option to ask and answer questions while your application is being completed with you over the phone, and this service is $150 in addition to the application fee.
Related cards do not incur an additional fee, the Pension Concession card is provided automatically when your Age Pension application is approved.
Regarding your home, the home you live in is an exempt asset for Centrelink purposes. If this home is rented out, this is classed as an investment property and treated as an asset with the associated rental income being factored in also. Some related costs such as investment loan interest and council rates are able to taken into account to reduce your assessable rental income.