Centrelink & Age Pension: Your Complete Guide

Centrelink is the backbone of social security in Australia and an integral pillar of the Australian retirement system.

The most common form of support that Centrelink provides to retirees is the Age Pension; but, there are other forms of support, too, such as health care cards, allowances and concessions.

Centrelink has a range of services that can be accessed online, which allow you to apply for payments and manage payments.

Around 70-80% of Australians will receive Age Pension payments at some stage throughout retirement. The Age Pension is means-tested, based on an Income Test and an Assets Test. Retirement planning strategies include structuring income and assets in a manner that improves Centrelink benefits.