Age Pension Age in Australia: When Can You Get the Pension?
Find out the qualifying age for the Age Pension in Australia, including the transition schedule for people born after 1952, and what to do while you wait.
Current Age Pension Age: 67 Years
The qualifying age for the Age Pension in Australia is 67 years for everyone born on or after 1 January 1957. This means if you were born in 1957 or later, you must wait until your 67th birthday before you can claim the Age Pension. The qualifying age was gradually increased from 65 to 67 over a period of years, reaching 67 on 1 July 2023 for people born on or after 1 January 1957. There are currently no announced plans to increase the Age Pension age beyond 67, though this has been recommended by various reviews and may be revisited in the future. It is important to understand that the Age Pension age is different from your superannuation preservation age (the age at which you can access your super) and different from any retirement age specified in your employment contract. You can retire from work at any age, and you can access your superannuation from your preservation age (60 for most people born after 1964), but you cannot receive the Age Pension until you reach the qualifying age.
Transition Schedule: Birth Dates and Pension Ages
The Age Pension qualifying age was gradually increased from 65 to 67 between 2017 and 2023. The transition schedule is as follows. If you were born before 1 July 1952, your pension age was 65 years. If you were born between 1 July 1952 and 31 December 1953, your pension age was 65 years and 6 months. For those born between 1 January 1954 and 30 June 1955, the pension age was 66 years. Born between 1 July 1955 and 31 December 1956, the pension age was 66 years and 6 months. And for anyone born on or after 1 January 1957 (which includes everyone who has not yet reached pension age), the qualifying age is 67 years. This transition has now been fully implemented — since 1 July 2023, all new Age Pension claimants must be at least 67 years old. The increase from 65 to 67 was legislated under the Social Security Amendment (Supporting More Australians into Work) Act 2014. Some veterans' service pensions have different qualifying ages, so if you have military service, check your entitlements under the Veterans' Entitlements Act separately.
The Gap Between Retirement and Pension Age
Many Australians face a gap between when they stop working and when they become eligible for the Age Pension. The average retirement age in Australia is around 64 for men and 62 for women, both below the pension qualifying age of 67. If you retire before 67, you will need to fund your living expenses from other sources. Superannuation is the primary bridge — most people can access their super from age 60 (the preservation age for those born after 1 July 1964). If your super balance is modest, you may need to rely on it for up to seven years before the Age Pension kicks in. During this period, you may also be eligible for other Centrelink payments. JobSeeker Payment is available to people of working age who are looking for work, including older Australians. If you have a medical condition preventing you from working, the Disability Support Pension may be an option. If you are caring for a partner with a disability, Carer Payment could apply. Planning for this gap between retirement and pension age is a crucial part of retirement planning.
Claiming the Age Pension: When to Apply
You can submit your Age Pension claim up to 13 weeks before you reach the qualifying age. This early lodgement window allows Services Australia to process your claim so that your first payment can start from the date you actually turn 67. If you wait until after your 67th birthday to lodge, your pension will generally start from the date you submit your completed claim — you will not receive back-pay for the period between turning 67 and lodging. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to lodge your claim as early as possible within the 13-week window. You can apply online through your myGov account linked to Centrelink, by phone, or in person at a Services Australia service centre. The claim requires detailed information about your income, assets, property, superannuation, and personal circumstances. Gathering all the required documents before you start the claim will help avoid delays. Processing times vary but typically range from 4 to 8 weeks for straightforward claims. Complex claims involving overseas pensions, trusts, or business assets may take longer.
Will the Pension Age Increase Beyond 67?
There is no current legislation to increase the Age Pension age beyond 67, but the topic remains part of the policy conversation. The 2015 Intergenerational Report recommended increasing the pension age to 70 by 2035, but this proposal was abandoned by the government due to strong public opposition. The 2023 Intergenerational Report noted the fiscal pressure of an ageing population but did not recommend a specific increase to the pension age. The Retirement Income Review (Callaghan Report) in 2020 suggested that the pension age should be indexed to life expectancy in the long term. Several other OECD countries have already increased their pension ages above 67 or have legislated future increases — Denmark, for example, will raise its pension age to 69 by 2035. For planning purposes, if you are currently in your 30s or 40s, it is prudent to consider the possibility that the qualifying age may be 68 or 69 by the time you retire. Building a strong superannuation balance provides insurance against any future increase in the pension age.
Payments Available Before Pension Age
If you are approaching but have not yet reached the Age Pension qualifying age, several income support payments may be available depending on your circumstances. JobSeeker Payment is available to people aged 22 to Age Pension age who are looking for work. If you are 55 or older and have been on JobSeeker for nine or more continuous months, you have reduced mutual obligation requirements and can qualify for the higher single rate. The Disability Support Pension is available at any working age if you have a permanent medical condition preventing you from working 15 or more hours per week. Carer Payment is available if you provide constant care to someone with a disability. If you are a veteran, the Service Pension may be available from age 60 (for those with qualifying service). The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is available from Age Pension age if you do not qualify for the Age Pension — it provides concessions on medicines and other costs but is not an income payment. Use our calculators to explore which payments you may be eligible for.
Age Pension Age for Couples with Different Birth Dates
In a couple where partners are different ages, each person reaches Age Pension age independently based on their own date of birth. The younger partner does not qualify for the Age Pension until they reach 67, regardless of whether the older partner is already receiving it. However, the older partner's Age Pension entitlement is affected by the couple's combined income and assets. When the older partner claims the Age Pension while the younger partner is still of working age, the couple is assessed using couple rates for the income and asset tests but only the older partner receives the pension. The younger partner may be eligible for a working-age payment like JobSeeker. Once both partners reach 67 and both are on the Age Pension, they are assessed as a pensioner couple. Importantly, the younger partner's superannuation is not counted in the asset test until they reach Age Pension age — this can be advantageous for couples with a significant age gap. Planning around different pension age dates can make a meaningful difference to a couple's overall retirement income.
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General information and estimates only — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Always verify with Services Australia.
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