Centrelink Age Pension Articles

July 1 changes for retirees: will you be affected?

July 1 changes for retirees: will you be affected?

Knowing which changes will occur on July 1 2023 is mandatory for those both in retirement or planning to be in the near future. Changes are coming to eligibility age for the Age Pension, income and asset thresholds for those on a full Age Pension and some...

Three ways the Age Pension gets better with age

Three ways the Age Pension gets better with age

Retirement can be a time of uncertainty for many people when it comes to managing their finances. As we age, our financial needs can change. However, there is one benefit that becomes increasingly valuable as we age, and that’s the Age Pension. The Age...

Income benefit – claim this credit before it expires

Income benefit – claim this credit before it expires

Income benefit: Claim your credit before it expires A popular recent article explained how changes to income thresholds now mean that a couple who hadn’t yet retired could now be eligible for an Age Pension owing to threshold changes. And that, along with...

What Centrelink can do … and what it can’t

What Centrelink can do … and what it can’t

 What Centrelink can do  And what it can’t Recent reports on Centrelink surveillance of clients have rung alarm bells. It’s easy, as a recipient of government benefits, to feel powerless in the face of a large bureaucracy. You are not powerless. In fact, as...

What you don’t know … might be hurting your finances

What you don’t know … might be hurting your finances

What you don’t know … … might be hurting your finances We’re always seeking insights into ways to help our members maximise their retirement savings and income. But what you don't know might be hurting your finances. What often comes up in advice...

Means testing just got simpler – how taper rates work

Means testing just got simpler – how taper rates work

Means testing just got simpler: Here’s how it works The application of the Age Pension means test to your income or assets means the difference between a higher or lower pension payment – or whether you receive one at all. We know the very term ‘taper rates’...

Should the family home be exempt from the assets test?

Should the family home be exempt from the assets test?

Should your home… …be exempt from the assets test? It’s no surprise that just over three-quarters of retirees own their own homes; traditionally Australians have had a love affair with home ownership. What is surprising is that the value of the home in...

Income test changes: Can you finally leave work?

Income test changes: Can you finally leave work?

A recent popular article on the way asset test changes mean more older Australians are now eligible for the Age Pension provoked a lot of interest. Today we look at the other side of the equation – the March 20 changes to the incomes test thresholds. When...