What Centrelink knows or doesn’t There’s a lot of confusion about what Centrelink knows, what it updates automatically, and what you need to report yourself. Many people assume Centrelink has direct access to their tax records, bank accounts, and...
Centrelink Age Pension Articles
Federal Budget 2025-2026: What does it mean for you?
The wait is over with the details of Treasurer, Jim Chalmers’, fourth Federal Budget now revealed. Before sharing the highlights, let’s recap the Retirement Essentials team’s wishlist to see how many measures actually came to pass. Retirement Essentials...
Income and assets limits changes 20 March 2025
How will these affect you? Last week we confirmed the 20 March Age Pension rate increase of $4.60 (singles) and $7.00 (couples combined) for 20 March. This week we are pleased to confirm that all Retirement Essentials calculators have been updated with the...
Age Pension increases 20 March 2025
Here’s what you’ll get The twice-yearly Age Pension increase is due to land on 20 March 2025. We reported in mid-February our predictions for singles and couples, and we’re pleased to say our predictions were correct within a few cents. The table below shows...
The deeming rates freeze: What happens if it ends in July?
Why the unfreezing of deeming rates in 2025 matters. Using deeming rates is the way Centrelink calculates the income you earn from your financial asset, regardless of whether you receive that income or not. In May 2020, the then Morrison Government froze...
Will an inheritance affect your Age Pension?
Maria and Carlos’s dilemma How will an inheritance affect your Age Pension entitlements? Many Retirement Essentials readers ask this question. As life expectancy increases, it’s not unusual for people to receive an inheritance much later in life—often when...
What will be in the March 2025 Budget?
At the time of writing we still don’t know when the Federal Election will be held, except that it will be before the end of May. This means that we still expect a Federal Budget to be delivered on 25 March. Even if an election is called, it is likely we will...
Do you know your entitlements? Steven Sadler does.
Avoiding costly Centrelink mistakes with expert advice from Retirement Essential’s Head of Customer Service, Steven Sadler Navigating Centrelink rules can be challenging, and many retirees are unsure about their entitlements and how to apply. At Retirement...
Age Pension increases on 20 March 2025
A few weeks before 20 March and September, the team at Retirement Essentials is usually able to predict (within a few cents) the expected Age Pension indexation change. This indexation of the base rate occurs twice a year. The main Age Pension supplement is...