Age Pension Calculator 2026: See Your Exact Fortnightly Payment in 30 Seconds
Your Age Pension is decided by two tests — an income test and an assets test — and Centrelink pays you whichever one gives the lower result. The calculator below runs both on the verified rates from 20 March 2026 (up to $1,200.90 a fortnight for a single, $1,810.40 combined for a couple) and tells you, in plain English, exactly how much you'd get and why.
Age Pension calculator
Four quick inputs. Everything stays in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere.
Estimate only, based on rates effective 20 March 2026. Your actual payment can differ — for example if only one of a couple is eligible, or if deeming applies to your financial assets. For an official figure, use the Services Australia Payment and Service Finder.
How the calculator works (the two-test rule in 60 seconds)
The single most misunderstood thing about the Age Pension is that there are two means tests, not one. Centrelink runs both — the income test and the assets test — every fortnight, and then pays you whichever result is lower. You never get to "pick the better one."
That's why two retirees with identical bank balances can receive very different pensions: one is being assessed under the income test, the other under the assets test, depending on the shape of their finances. The calculator above mirrors exactly this logic — it computes both, shows you both, and highlights the one that actually applies to you.
Brian and Helen, 68, a homeowner couple in Geelong. They own their home, have $420,000 in super and savings (assessable assets), and draw $900 a fortnight in combined investment and account-based pension income that counts as assessable income. Here's how Centrelink works out their payment from 20 March 2026:
Step 1 — Income test. The couple income free area is $380 a fortnight. Their assessable income is $900, so $900 − $380 = $520 over. The taper reduces the pension by 50 cents for every dollar over: $520 × 0.50 = $260 reduction. Starting from the full combined rate of $1,810.40, that leaves $1,810.40 − $260 = $1,550.40 a fortnight.
Step 2 — Assets test. The asset free area for a homeowner couple is $481,500. Their $420,000 is under that threshold, so there is no reduction under the assets test. Result: the full $1,810.40.
Step 3 — Centrelink pays the lower. Income test result ($1,550.40) is lower than the assets test result ($1,810.40), so the income test applies and Brian and Helen receive $1,550.40 a fortnight combined — a part pension. If their assessable income later fell below $380/ft, they'd jump straight to the full rate.
The verified rates this calculator uses (20 March 2026)
Age Pension rates are indexed twice a year — on 20 March and 20 September. The figures below are the maximum rates that took effect on 20 March 2026, including the base rate, Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement, as published by Services Australia.
| Component (per fortnight) | Single | Couple (each) | Couple (combined) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum base rate | $1,100.30 | $829.40 | $1,658.80 |
| Pension Supplement (max) | $86.50 | $65.20 | $130.40 |
| Energy Supplement | $14.10 | $10.60 | $21.20 |
| Maximum total | $1,200.90 | $905.20 | $1,810.40 |
Income test thresholds
You can earn a little before your pension reduces. Above the income free area, the pension drops by 50 cents for every $1 of assessable income (for a couple, that 50c is applied to the combined rate).
| Income test | Single | Couple (combined) |
|---|---|---|
| Income free area (per fortnight) | $218 | $380 |
| Taper rate | 50c per $1 over | 50c per $1 over |
| Income cut-off (pension stops) | $2,619.80 | $4,000.80 |
Assets test thresholds
Above the asset free area, the pension reduces by $3 a fortnight for every $1,000 of assets over the threshold. Your home is not counted, but the threshold is lower if you own it — that's the difference between the "homeowner" and "non-homeowner" rows.
| Assets test | Full pension up to | Part pension cut-off |
|---|---|---|
| Single, homeowner | $321,500 | $722,000 |
| Single, non-homeowner | $579,500 | $980,000 |
| Couple (combined), homeowner | $481,500 | $1,085,000 |
| Couple (combined), non-homeowner | $739,500 | $1,343,000 |
Thresholds verified against the Services Australia assets test page and the income test page, effective 20 March 2026.
One trap the calculator can't see for you: deeming
The calculator asks for your assessable income. For wages or rent, that's straightforward. But for financial assets — bank accounts, term deposits, shares, most account-based pensions — Centrelink doesn't use your actual earnings. It uses deeming: it assumes those assets earn a set rate of return regardless of what they actually pay you.
If most of your income comes from financial investments, work out your deemed income first using the official tool, then enter that number into the income field above. The Services Australia deeming page has the current deeming rates and thresholds.
- Centrelink runs both the income and assets test and pays the lower result — never the higher one.
- Maximum from 20 March 2026: $1,200.90/ft single, $1,810.40/ft couple combined (includes supplements).
- Income test: free area $218 single / $380 couple, then minus 50c per extra $1.
- Assets test: full pension up to $321,500 (single homeowner), then minus $3/ft per $1,000 over.
- Financial assets are usually assessed by deeming, not your real interest — check the deeming rate before trusting an income-based estimate.
- This tool is an estimate. The official figure comes from the Services Australia Payment and Service Finder.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the official Services Australia calculator?
No. This is a fast estimate built on the published 20 March 2026 rates and thresholds. The official Payment and Service Finder factors in details we don't ask for here — such as deeming on each financial asset, whether only one of a couple is eligible, and other concurrent payments. Use this tool to get oriented in 30 seconds, then confirm with the official finder before making decisions.
Why does my home not count, but owning it lowers my threshold?
Your principal home is an exempt asset, so its value is never added to your assessable assets. However, homeowners get a lower asset free area than non-homeowners (for example $321,500 vs $579,500 for a single) to roughly offset the wealth tied up in the home. The calculator applies the correct threshold automatically once you pick homeowner or non-homeowner.
What income do I actually enter — my real interest or a deemed figure?
For wages, rent and defined-benefit pensions, enter the real fortnightly amount that's assessable. For bank accounts, shares and most account-based pensions, Centrelink uses deeming — an assumed rate of return — not your actual earnings. Work out your deemed income on the Services Australia deeming page and enter that number for the most accurate estimate.
I'm a couple but only one of us has reached Age Pension age — what do I enter?
Choose "Couple" and enter your combined income and assets, because Centrelink assesses couples jointly. But note an important caveat: when only one partner is eligible, that partner generally receives the single-equivalent of the couple rate, not the full combined amount. This calculator assumes both partners are eligible, so if only one of you qualifies, treat the result as an upper bound and confirm with the official finder.
How often do these numbers change?
Payment rates are indexed every 20 March and 20 September; the income and assets thresholds are also reviewed at those points. This page uses the rates effective 20 March 2026. If you're reading after 20 September 2026, the figures will have moved — always cross-check against the current Services Australia rate page.
Why did my pension come out as $0?
That happens when your income or assets exceed the cut-off point — for a single that's $2,619.80/ft of income or $722,000 of assets (homeowner). At that point no Age Pension is payable, though you may still qualify for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has separate, higher income limits.
Get the free Age Pension claim checklist
A one-page PDF of every document Centrelink asks for, in the order they ask — so your claim isn't bounced back.
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