Centrelink and your retirement income
Thousands of Australians supplement their superannuation pension income with Centrelink entitlements. A qualified VicSuper financial planner can provide advice on how you can maximise your Centrelink benefits and make your retirement savings last longer.
Find out if you could be eligible for Centrelink entitlements and the benefits of combining them with a VicSuper retirement income stream.
Does my retirement income affect my eligibility for the Centrelink Age Pension?
Your eligibility for the Age Pension is based on Centrelink's Assets Test and Income Test, both of which may be affected by your other retirement income streams.
There are a number of rules that are applied by Centrelink when assessing your eligibility for the Age Pension, relating to your retirement income streams. There are also a number of ways to ensure that your Age Pension benefit is maximised. It is for these reasons that we strongly recommend you see a VicSuper financial planner - to ensure you are making the most of your Age Pension and other retirement income streams.
The below assets and income table shows the assets and income thresholds applicable to the Centrelink Age Pension:
| Singles | Couples (includes opposite and same sex de facto couples) |
|---|---|
| Total assets (excl. own home) do not exceed $564,000 | Total assets (excl. own home) do not exceed $848,000 |
| Assessable income below $52,119.60 pa | Combined assessable income below $79,736.80 pa |
Please note, these eligibility requirements apply to homeowners only, are current as at 20 September 2018 and may change during the year. For current information on the eligibility criteria for the Age Pension, visit the Centrelink website at humanservices.gov.au
The benefits of combining your retirement income with Centrelink benefits
The Centrelink Age Pension is only designed to be a safety net – it provides a modest level of income to meet a basic standard of living.
And if retirement is still a few years away, don’t forget that there’s no guarantee of what amount will be provided by the Age Pension in the future.
It’s therefore best to maximise the amount of super available from which to draw a retirement income. A combination of income sources can provide a more comfortable lifestyle in retirement.
And if retirement is still a few years away, don’t forget that there’s no guarantee of what amount will be provided by the Age Pension in the future.
It’s therefore best to maximise the amount of super available from which to draw a retirement income. A combination of income sources can provide a more comfortable lifestyle in retirement.
Maximise your retirement income
VicSuper’s qualified financial planners are experienced at helping members maximise their retirement income from a mix of super and the Centrelink Age Pension.
They can recommend ways to improve your Centrelink eligibility and use the Age Pension to help ensure your savings last as you do.
Our advice service is offered at no obligation and, in most cases, at no additional charge.
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