Guide
Who is eligible for the Age Pension, and at what age?
Age Pension age is 67 for everyone born on or after 1 January 1957. To be paid you must also be an Australian resident with at least 10 years of residence, be in Australia on the day you claim, and have assets and income below the cut-offs for your situation.
Key facts at a glance
- Age Pension age reached 67 on 1 July 2023 and no further increase is legislated (Services Australia).
- Residence test: 10 years total Australian residence, including 5 continuous years.
- You must be in Australia on the day you lodge the claim.
- Assets cut-off for a single homeowner: $697,000 as at 20 March 2025.
- Income cut-off for a single person: $2,510.00 a fortnight as at 20 March 2025.
- Claims can be lodged up to 13 weeks before you reach pension age.
All figures correct as at 20 March 2025, sourced from Services Australia. Next indexation: 20 September 2026.
What age can I get the Age Pension?
Age Pension age is 67 years. The qualifying age rose in six-month steps from 65, starting on 1 July 2017 and finishing on 1 July 2023. If you were born on or after 1 January 1957 your pension age is 67 with no transitional rule to work around.
| Date of birth | Age Pension age | Applied from |
|---|---|---|
| On or before 30 June 1952 | 65 years | Before 1 July 2017 |
| 1 July 1952 – 31 December 1953 | 65 years and 6 months | 1 July 2017 |
| 1 January 1954 – 30 June 1955 | 66 years | 1 July 2019 |
| 1 July 1955 – 31 December 1956 | 66 years and 6 months | 1 July 2021 |
| On or after 1 January 1957 | 67 years | 1 July 2023 |
Age Pension Age Calculator
Enter your date of birth to get the exact date you reach Age Pension age.
Age Pension age is 67 for everyone born on or after 1 January 1957. Earlier birth dates use the transitional ages that applied between 2017 and 2023.
This is an estimate based on the published rules and rates of Services Australia, correct as at 20 March 2025. Confirm your actual entitlement with Services Australia — your circumstances may include assessments this tool does not model.
What are the residence rules for the Age Pension?
You must be an Australian resident — an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or holder of a protected Special Category visa — and physically in Australia on the day you lodge your claim. On top of that you need 10 years of Australian residence in total, with at least 5 of those years in one unbroken period.
Time spent in Australia on a temporary visa does not count. Australia has international social security agreements with more than 30 countries, and those agreements can let you add periods of residence or contribution in the other country to meet the 10-year rule, or claim from overseas.
There are limited exemptions from the 10-year rule, including for:
- refugee or former refugee visa holders;
- women whose partner died while they were both Australian residents, if they have been an Australian resident for at least two years; and
- people receiving Widow B Pension, Widow Allowance or Partner Allowance immediately before reaching pension age.
The means tests: assets and income
Meeting the age and residence rules makes you qualified; the means tests decide whether you are actually paid. Services Australia applies both the assets test and the income test and pays whichever gives the lower rate. If either test produces nil, you are not paid.
| Situation | Assets cut-off | Income cut-off (per fortnight) |
|---|---|---|
| Single, homeowner | $697,000 | $2,510.00 |
| Single, non-homeowner | $955,000 | $2,510.00 |
| Couple, homeowner (combined) | $1,047,500 | $3,836.40 |
| Couple, non-homeowner (combined) | $1,305,500 | $3,836.40 |
Worked example: Peter and Anne, a couple with one member under pension age
Peter is 68 and Anne is 62. Only Peter can claim, but Services Australia assesses their combined income and combined assets against the couple thresholds, and Peter is paid at the couple rate — half of $1,731.60 a fortnight, subject to the tests.
Anne's superannuation is the exception: because she is under Age Pension age and has not started drawing it, her super balance is not counted in either test. Once she reaches 67, it is.
How to check your eligibility, step by step
- Check your Age Pension age. Confirm the exact date you reach Age Pension age from your date of birth — 67 for anyone born on or after 1 January 1957.
- Check your residence history. Confirm you have at least 10 years of Australian residence including a continuous 5-year period, and that you will be in Australia on the day you claim.
- Value your assets. Add up assessable assets excluding your principal home and compare them with the assets test cut-off for your relationship and homeowner status.
- Add up your income. Add employment income after the Work Bonus, deemed income from financial assets, and any other assessable income, then compare with the income test cut-off.
- Lodge your claim. Claim online through myGov linked to Centrelink from 13 weeks before your eligibility date.
The full claim process is set out in How to apply for the Age Pension.
If you are not eligible
If the means tests rule you out, two other options are worth checking. The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card has an income test and no assets test, and gives cheaper prescriptions and concessions. If you are under Age Pension age and cannot work because of a permanent condition, Services Australia's Disability Support Pension is the closest adjacent payment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Age Pension age in Australia in 2026?
Age Pension age is 67 for everyone born on or after 1 January 1957. It increased in six-month steps from 65 between 1 July 2017 and 1 July 2023, when it reached 67 and stopped. No further increase is legislated.
Can I claim the Age Pension before I turn 67?
You cannot be paid before you reach Age Pension age, but you can lodge your claim up to 13 weeks early so it is processed and ready to start on your eligibility date. Claiming early does not bring payments forward.
How many years do I need to have lived in Australia?
You generally need at least 10 years of Australian residence, including one continuous period of 5 years. Time as an Australian resident counts only while you held permanent residency or citizenship, not time on a temporary visa.
Do I have to be in Australia to claim the Age Pension?
Yes. You must be an Australian resident and physically in Australia on the day you lodge your claim, unless you are claiming under an international social security agreement with another country.
Does my partner's income and assets affect my Age Pension?
Yes. If you are a member of a couple, Services Australia assesses your combined income and combined assets against the couple thresholds, even if only one of you has reached Age Pension age.
What if I am not eligible because of the assets test?
If your assessable assets are above the cut-off for your situation — for example $697,000 for a single homeowner — you cannot be paid the Age Pension, but you may still qualify for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has an income test and no assets test.
Is the Age Pension affected by my superannuation?
Yes, once you reach Age Pension age your superannuation counts as an assessable asset and is deemed to earn income, whether or not you have started drawing it. Before you reach pension age, your own super is counted but a younger partner's untouched super is not.
Can I get the Age Pension if I live overseas?
You can generally continue to be paid outside Australia, though the rate may change after 26 weeks away and the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement are reduced or stop. You must still have claimed while in Australia.
Researched and fact-checked by
researches Australian retirement and social security policy full time. Not a licensed financial adviser — every figure on this page is sourced from Services Australia or the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth).
Last reviewed: 15 September 2026
Figures as at: 20 March 2025
Next indexation: 20 September 2026
Change log: Reviewed 15 September 2026; pension age table and residence rules re-checked against Services Australia, cut-offs updated to figures correct as at 20 March 2025. Next update at the 20 September 2026 indexation.