Age Pension eligibility
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What is the current Age Pension age?
There's no set retirement age in Australia, but the government does set the age you can start getting Age Pension payments.
From 1 July 2023, the Age Pension age for everyone will be 67 years old.
What if I need financial assistance earlier?
You can usually access your super earlier than you can access the Age Pension. So if you’re not yet old enough to get the Age Pension but you have some super or other savings, you might be able to use that until you reach the pension age.
For more information on the Age Pension or other available payments, visit Centrelink (Services Australia) or ask to speak to one of their Financial Information Service Officers.
Accessing your superAge Pension Calculator
If you’re wondering when you’ll reach the right age for the Age Pension, use the government’s Super and pension age calculator. When you put in your birth month and year, it tells you when you will be old enough to both apply for the Age Pension and access your super.
FAQs about the pension age
Is the Age Pension age changing to 70?
No, the idea of increasing the Age Pension age progressively up to 70 years old was a proposal included in the 2014 Federal Budget, but the government didn't proceed with this policy. Of course, you never know; the government could still change the age for the pension in the future.
Is the Age Pension age the same for everyone?
Yes, at the moment, the age for the Age Pension is the same for all Australians who reach the government's set age and meet the other criteria – no matter your gender or personal situation.
The Federal Court of Australia has considered whether the age rules should change for our First Nations people, who often don't benefit from the Age Pension for as many years as other Australian seniors. The average life expectancy for Australia's First Nations people is 10 years less than non-indigenous people (Productivity Commission, 2021).
Continue checking your eligibility
The starting age is only one part of the Centrelink eligibility test to see if you can get the Age Pension, so make sure you check the other factors as well.
Next: Assets testor skip ahead to the Income test
Ready to make a plan?
If you’re confident you understand your eligibility, here’s what you can do next.
Choose when to retire
If you already know what age you can get the Age Pension, check the age you can access your super and think about when you might be able to start enjoying life after work.
Get advice
To keep planning your retirement, book an appointment for financial advice about your account with us (the cost is included with your account). You can also find out the average super balance for your age, how much you'll need to retire, and how to grow your super.
Apply for other government benefits for seniors
Some of the other benefits (apart from the Age Pension) available to help retirees include:
- Seniors Card, which will give you access to a wide range of both government and non-government products and services such as discounted public transport (if eligible)
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which could give you access to cheaper prescriptions and other government-funded medical services, if you meet the health card's income test, which lets you earn more income than the Age Pension (the health card doesn't have an assets test)
- Other types of benefits such as the Pensioner Concession Card, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payments/Allowances, and the Pension Loans Scheme
Retire at the right time for you
If you retire with our award winning retirement products, you can mix and match to create the best combination with your super – and the Age Pension if you can get it.
You are: At the age you can get your super but not yet retired.
You get: Regular payments from your super while still working.
You are: Aged 65 or over, or you've reached the age you can get your super and permanently retired.
You get: Tax-free payments from your super as long as you have a balance.
You are: Aged from 60 up to your 80th birthday and permanently retired.
You get: Tax-free fortnightly payments for the rest of your life.