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Older Australians - employment and retirement

If you are an older Australian you may have needs relating to work and retirement. You can get support on a range of subjects such as financial security, health and wellbeing, accommodation and housing, transport and mobility, social and economic inclusion, choice of services and positive attitudes to aging.

On this page:

Who does this information apply to?

Older Australians who are:

  • retired or planning for retirement
  • wanting to study to improve their chances of finding work
  • wanting to work part time to support their income while retired
  • volunteering or wanting to become more involved in the community

Planning for retirement

Retiring from paid work is a major life transition.

You can attend a free Financial Information Service seminar to help with your retirement planning. You can also talk to a Financial Information Services Officer over the telephone, in a personal interview or at a financial education seminar, about:

  • taking control of your finances so you can plan well for your retirement
  • how to prepare for lifestyle choices in retirement, even while you are still working

More information

Working and retirement

You may want to continue to work into your retirement. Work can be paid or voluntary and keeps you connected with the community by sharing your skills.

If you are looking for work you can get:

  • help finding a job
  • training and study support to enhance your skills and increase your chances of finding a job

The aged pension also includes incentives for people to participate in the workforce through the Work Bonus.

More information

Income support when you retire

If you have reached age pension age, the Age Pension may help you to have an adequate income. If you meet the age and residency requirements, Centrelink will calculate how much Age Pension you can get. Centrelink takes into account your income, the assets you own and other factors.

Online Estimator

The Centrelink online estimators let you estimate the amount of age pension (or compare other payments) you may be able to get.
Start the Online Estimator

If you are a self-funded retiree, or still working part time, you may be able to get a partial pension. Check with Centrelink on whether you are entitled to get this pension.

Other pensions

If you:

  • have lived or worked outside of Australia and are claiming or receiving the Age Pension here, the government may also ask you to apply for a pension from other countries you have lived or worked in
  • are legally blind, you may get an Age Pension (Blind) which has no income or assets test

More information

Concession cards

With concession cards you can get a range of benefits, including help covering the cost of medicines. There are several types of concession cards depending on your circumstances. Some are issued by the Australian Government and others by the State or Territory in which you live.

More information

Services available

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