Current Age Pension rates and how the increase is calculated

Understanding the Age Pension rate increase

The Australian Government adjusts the Age Pension rate on 20 March and 20 September each year. These are known as indexation dates. The adjustment ensures your fortnightly payment keeps pace with rising costs so your purchasing power is maintained throughout retirement.

📊 How is the Age Pension rate calculated?

The maximum Age Pension rate is set using the highest result from three benchmarks: the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI) and a wages benchmark that keeps the combined couple rate at a minimum of 41.76% of average male total ordinary time earnings. This triple-lock approach means your pension can never fall behind the cost of living.

💰 Maximum Age Pension rates — singles and couples

The maximum fortnightly rate includes the base pension plus the Pension Supplement and the Energy Supplement. If you are a single pensioner, your combined maximum rate is higher per person than for each member of a couple, reflecting the higher cost of maintaining a household alone.

To see the exact dollar figures that apply right now, check the Services Australia website or log into your myGov account. Rates are updated automatically on each indexation date and the new figures are published on the official Services Australia payment rates page.

📉 Full rate vs part rate — what determines your payment?

Not everyone receives the maximum Age Pension. Your actual fortnightly payment depends on two means tests run by Centrelink: the income test and the assets test. Whichever test produces the lower payment amount is the one that applies. If your assessable income or assets exceed certain thresholds, your pension is reduced — this is called receiving a part rate.

When the pension rate increases, the income test and assets test thresholds are also adjusted. This means some part-rate pensioners may see a larger increase than expected, while others may see a smaller one depending on how their income and assets interact with the new thresholds.

Financial planning tip: after each rate increase, review your myGov account to see how your new fortnightly payment compares to your previous amount. Use this as a prompt to reassess your budget and ensure your direct debits, rent and bills are aligned with your updated available balance.

If your financial circumstances have changed — for example, you have sold an investment property, started earning income from casual work, or your partner has begun receiving a pension — report these changes to Centrelink promptly. Accurate reporting ensures your pension rate reflects your true situation and prevents overpayment debts.