Transfer to Age Pension

What happens before you reach Age Pension age

Age Pension is usually the best payment if you’re Age Pension age. However this depends on your circumstances and the payment you get.

If you get an eligible payment, we’ll write to you 13 weeks before you reach Age Pension age. Our invitation will tell you what you need to do and what you might be able to get. You’ll need to tell us if you want to apply for transfer to Age Pension or not, and if you have superannuation. Any superannuation you have may affect your rate of payment.

If you don’t provide the information we’ve asked for, we may stop your current payment once you turn Age Pension age. We may also stop your partner’s payment.

Our invitation to apply to transfer does not necessarily mean you’re eligible for Age Pension. We’ll still need to assess whether you meet Age Pension eligibility requirements.

If you decide to transfer to Age Pension and you’re not eligible, we may continue paying your current payment.

To check which payment is best for you, ensure your current payment is eligible for transfer to Age Pension. Then compare the details of your current payment with those of Age Pension, for example:

• regular payment amounts
• any supplements or additional payments you may be able to get
• the amount of Rent Assistance you can get
• how your payment may change if you travel outside Australia
• the income and assets limits
• how employment income may affect your payments.

If you’re not sure which payment is best for you, call us.

Which payments are eligible for transfer

If you get one of these payments, we’ll invite you to apply to transfer to Age Pension:

• Austudy
• Carer Payment
• Disability Support Pension
• Newstart Allowance
• Parenting Payment
• Partner Allowance
• Sickness Allowance
• Special Benefit
• Widow Allowance
• Widow B Pension
• Wife Pension.

It’s important to know the following payments will stop once you reach Age Pension age:

• Newstart Allowance
• Sickness Allowance.

Which payments stop when you reach Age Pension age

When you reach Age Pension age you can’t get Newstart Allowance or Sickness Allowance. This is because you’ll no longer meet their eligibility requirements. You can apply to transfer to Age Pension to see if you’re eligible for that payment instead.

What happens if you don’t get an eligible payment

If you don’t currently get an eligible payment, you need to complete a full Age Pension claim. You can do this online, via a form, by calling, or visiting us.

Read more about how to claim Age Pension.

What is the benefit of applying to transfer

Transferring is simpler and easier than completing a full Age Pension claim.

We’ll invite you to apply to transfer to Age Pension 13 weeks before you reach Age Pension age. We’ll send the invitation to your online account, if you have one. If you don’t, we’ll post the invitation and form to you. We’ll fill in the form and the online transfer with information we already know.

Your current payment will stop when you reach Age Pension age if you don’t either:

• complete the online transfer
• return the paper form to us.

You can call us if you’re having trouble providing information we’ve asked for before you reach Age Pension age.

If your partner gets a payment from us, their payment will also stop if you don't respond.

How to apply to transfer

You’ll need to:

• check the information we have recorded for you is correct
• give us the information we ask for
• submit your application to transfer online, or post the form back to us.

If you recently submitted an Age Pension claim to us, you don’t need to complete the online transfer.