What age can you get the Age Pension? Eligibility explained

To receive the Age Pension you need to meet three sets of rules: an age requirement, residence requirements, and the income and assets tests. This article covers the first two. The means tests are explained in our guides to the assets test and the income test.

Age Pension age is 67

Age Pension age is 67 for everyone born on or after 1 January 1957. It reached 67 on 1 July 2023 after rising in six-monthly steps from 65 over the previous six years. There is no legislated increase beyond 67. Stories about the pension age rising to 70 refer to a proposal that was abandoned in 2018.

Age Pension age is separate from your superannuation preservation age, which is 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964. You can access your super from 60 if you retire, but you cannot claim the Age Pension until 67.

Residence rules

To qualify you must be an Australian resident and be in Australia on the day you claim. You also normally need to have been an Australian resident for at least 10 years in total, with at least five of those years in one continuous period. There are exceptions for refugees, for people who became widowed while both partners were residents, and for people covered by an international social security agreement with countries such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Italy and Greece.

Income and assets

Meeting the age and residence rules makes you eligible to claim. How much you receive, if anything, is then decided by the income and assets tests. Both tests are applied and the lower result is paid. For the 1 July 2026 rates a single homeowner receives the full pension with assets up to $333,000, and some pension up to $733,500. Couples who own their home receive some pension with combined assets up to $1,102,500.

When to claim

You can lodge a claim up to 13 weeks before you reach Age Pension age. Payments cannot start before you turn 67, but claiming early avoids a gap. You will need identity documents, details of your income and assets, and information about any superannuation income streams.

Do you have to retire?

No. You can work and receive the Age Pension at the same time. Employment income counts under the income test, but the Work Bonus disregards the first $300 a fortnight, and unused amounts build up in an income bank.

Related payments

People who receive even a small part pension also get the Pensioner Concession Card, which provides cheaper medicines, bulk-billing incentives and state and local concessions. Self-funded retirees who miss out on the pension may still qualify for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has an income test but no assets test.

Estimate your rate

The estimators on this site do not check eligibility, but if you meet the age and residence rules they will show you what your rate is likely to be under the two tests, with every step of the working shown.