Age Pension Calculator: Enter Your Income & Assets, See Your Fortnightly Payment (March 2026 Rates)
This free Age Pension calculator uses the official 20 March 2026 Centrelink figures. Pop in your relationship status, whether you own your home, your financial assets, other assets and any income, and it estimates your fortnightly Age Pension in real time. It runs both the income test and the assets test for you and shows the lower of the two — because that’s the one Services Australia actually pays.
Try the calculator
Everything runs in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere or stored. Enter the value of your savings and investments under financial assets (these get “deemed”), and things like cars, contents and investment properties under other assets.
| Test | Pension it would pay |
|---|---|
| Income test | — |
| Assets test | — |
| Lower of the two (what you get) | — |
Estimate only. Centrelink may treat some assets and income differently (e.g. account-based pensions started before 2015, certain income streams, gifting). Always confirm with Services Australia or a financial professional.
How the calculation works (in plain English)
Centrelink applies two separate tests to your Age Pension — an income test and an assets test. It works out a payment under each, then pays you the lower amount. The idea is that the more you have (or earn), the less pension support you need. You start at the maximum rate and the tests reduce it from there.
The maximum rate (the cap)
From 20 March 2026, the most you can receive each fortnight — including the base rate, Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement — is:
| Component | 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 |
| Total per fortnight | $1,200.90 | $905.20 | $1,810.40 |
Source: Services Australia — How much Age Pension you can get.
The income test
You can earn a little before your pension reduces. The income free area is $218 a fortnight if you’re single and $380 a fortnight for a couple combined. Above that, your pension drops by 50 cents for every $1 of income (per person for couples, so 25c each side of a couple). Note that the Work Bonus can reduce assessed employment income further — this calculator does not model it, so treat wage scenarios as conservative.
Deeming — how your savings become “income”
Centrelink doesn’t ask what your bank account actually earns. Instead it deems a return on your financial assets. From 20 March 2026:
| Lower rate 1.25% | Upper rate 3.25% | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | on the first $64,200 | on the balance above $64,200 |
| Couple (combined) | on the first $106,200 | on the balance above $106,200 |
That deemed amount is added to any other income before the income test runs. Source: Services Australia — Deeming and Income test for Age Pension.
The assets test
The assets test has a free area (full pension if you’re under it) and reduces your pension by $3 per fortnight for every $1,000 of assets above it. Your family home is exempt for homeowners.
| Situation | Full-pension assets free area | Part-pension cut-off |
|---|---|---|
| Single, homeowner | $321,500 | $722,000 |
| Single, non-homeowner | $579,500 | $980,000 |
| Couple, homeowner (combined) | $481,500 | $1,085,000 |
| Couple, non-homeowner (combined) | $739,500 | $1,343,000 |
Source: Services Australia — Assets test for Age Pension.
Worked example
Meet Margaret’s client, Helen — a 68-year-old single homeowner in Geelong. She has $250,000 in financial assets (super in pension phase plus savings), $40,000 in other assets (her car and contents), and no other income. Here’s the step-by-step Centrelink would follow.
Step 1 — Income test. Deem her $250,000 of financial assets:
- First $64,200 × 1.25% = $802.50 a year
- Remaining $185,800 × 3.25% = $6,038.50 a year
- Total deemed income = $6,841.00 a year ÷ 26 = $263.12 a fortnight
Income over the $218 free area = $263.12 − $218 = $45.12. Reduction at 50c/$1 = $22.56 a fortnight.
Income-test pension = $1,200.90 − $22.56 = $1,178.34 a fortnight.
Step 2 — Assets test. Total assessable assets = $250,000 + $40,000 = $290,000. That’s under the single-homeowner free area of $321,500, so no reduction.
Assets-test pension = $1,200.90 a fortnight (full rate).
Step 3 — Pay the lower one. Income test ($1,178.34) is lower than the assets test ($1,200.90), so Helen receives $1,178.34 a fortnight — assessed under the income test. (Plug Helen’s figures into the calculator above to see the same result.)
Frequently asked questions
Which test decides my Age Pension — income or assets?
Centrelink calculates a payment under both tests and pays you the lower result. If your savings and investments are large, the assets test usually bites first; if you have a lot of income or heavily deemed financial assets, the income test does. The calculator above shows both so you can see which one is driving your number.
What are deeming rates, and what are they for 2026?
Deeming is the assumed rate of return Centrelink applies to your financial assets instead of measuring what they actually earn. From 20 March 2026 the lower rate is 1.25% (on the first $64,200 single / $106,200 couple) and the upper rate is 3.25% on the balance. The deemed amount counts as income under the income test.
What is the most Age Pension I can get in 2026?
From 20 March 2026 the maximum is $1,200.90 a fortnight for a single person and $1,810.40 a fortnight for a couple combined. Both totals include the base rate, Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement.
Is my home counted in the assets test?
No — your principal home is an exempt asset if you’re a homeowner. That’s why non-homeowners get a much higher assets free area ($579,500 single vs $321,500 for homeowners) to roughly offset not owning a home.
How accurate is this calculator?
It uses the official 20 March 2026 thresholds and gives a close estimate for most people. It does not model every rule — the Work Bonus, special income-stream treatment, gifting, or assets like grandfathered account-based pensions can change the result. Always confirm your actual entitlement with Services Australia.
When do these rates change?
Services Australia indexes Age Pension rates and thresholds twice a year — 20 March and 20 September. The figures here apply from 20 March 2026 until the September 2026 update.
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$218 single / $380 couple free area, then 50c per $1.
$3 per fortnight per $1,000 over the free area.