Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement: What's Inside Your $1,200.90 Fortnightly Pension
The maximum single Age Pension of $1,200.90 a fortnight isn't one number — it's three add-ons stacked together: a base rate of $1,100.30, a maximum Pension Supplement of $86.50, and an Energy Supplement of $14.10. Couples get the same three components at a lower per-person rate. Understanding the split matters because if your income or assets reduce your pension, the supplements don't always disappear at the same rate as the base.
The three parts of your maximum pension (20 March 2026 rates)
From 20 March 2026 to 19 September 2026, the maximum rates published by Services Australia and the Department of Social Services break down like this. Every figure below is per fortnight.
| Component | Single | Couple (each) | Couple (combined) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum base rate | $1,100.30 | $829.40 | $1,658.80 |
| Maximum Pension Supplement | $86.50 | $65.20 | $130.40 |
| Energy Supplement | $14.10 | $10.60 | $21.20 |
| Total maximum | $1,200.90 | $905.20 | $1,810.40 |
Source: Services Australia — How much Age Pension you can get and the DSS Social Security Guide 5.1.9.10 — Pension supplement current rates.
The Pension Supplement: maximum vs minimum
The Pension Supplement rolled together several older payments (the GST supplement, telephone allowance, utilities allowance and pharmaceutical allowance) into one fortnightly amount. It has two important thresholds:
- Maximum Pension Supplement — paid in full while you're on the maximum (or near-maximum) base rate.
- Minimum Pension Supplement — a floor below which the supplement won't be reduced as your base pension tapers down. Only once your total entitlement falls below the minimum supplement does the supplement itself start to reduce.
| Pension Supplement | Single | Couple (each) | Couple (combined) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum amount | $86.50 | $65.20 | $130.40 |
| Minimum amount | $46.60 | $35.10 | $70.20 |
Source: Services Australia — How much Pension Supplement you can get.
The Energy Supplement: a fixed amount
The Energy Supplement is the simplest piece. It's a fixed fortnightly amount that doesn't move with indexation and isn't separately reduced by the income or assets tests while you remain on a part or full pension. New pension claimants generally only keep the Energy Supplement if they were receiving it (or a qualifying payment) before 20 September 2016 grandfathering rules, so check your individual eligibility with Services Australia.
| Energy Supplement | Single | Couple (each) | Couple (combined) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per fortnight | $14.10 | $10.60 | $21.20 |
Worked example: a part-pensioner who keeps the supplements
Worked Example
Meet Dorothy. Dorothy is 71, single, and owns her home. She has a self-funded income stream and deemed investment income that, after the income test, reduces her pension. The income test reduces the pension by 50 cents for every dollar of income above the fortnightly free area.
Suppose the income test produces a $300 per fortnight reduction on her maximum entitlement.
Step 1 — Start from the maximum total.
Single maximum = $1,200.90 per fortnight (base $1,100.30 + Pension Supplement $86.50 + Energy Supplement $14.10).
Step 2 — Apply the test reduction.
$1,200.90 − $300.00 = $900.90 per fortnight total payment.
Step 3 — How the components survive the cut.
The reduction comes off the top of the combined rate, but the minimum Pension Supplement ($46.60) and the Energy Supplement ($14.10) are protected for as long as Dorothy's total payment stays above those floors. Because her $900.90 is comfortably above the supplement floor, she still receives:
- Energy Supplement: $14.10 (unchanged — it's fixed)
- At least the minimum Pension Supplement: $46.60 protected; she's actually receiving above the minimum because her pension is still high
- The remainder is base rate, reduced by the test
The point: a part-pensioner doesn't lose the supplements "first." They're built into the total and only the portion above the minimum supplement tapers. Only when someone's entitlement drops all the way down toward the minimum Pension Supplement + Energy Supplement does the supplement itself begin to shrink — and at the very bottom, once the test would wipe the payment out, the minimum supplement is the last thing to go.
Want to see how your own income or assets figure affects the total? The official Payment and Service Finder estimates your exact rate, and the Age Pension rates hub walks through the tests step by step.
Indexation and the quarterly Pension Supplement option
The base rate and the Pension Supplement are indexed twice a year — on 20 March and 20 September — to the higher of CPI movements or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index, and benchmarked against Male Total Average Weekly Earnings for the single rate. That's why the figures on this page carry the "20 March 2026" date stamp; they'll change again in September.
The Energy Supplement is not indexed — it stays fixed at $14.10 (single) until the government legislates a change.
Take the minimum Pension Supplement quarterly
By default the Pension Supplement is paid every fortnight as part of your pension. You can instead choose to have the minimum Pension Supplement portion paid quarterly — it accrues daily and is paid as a lump sum each quarter (after the March, June, September and December quarters). The amount above the minimum still comes fortnightly; only the minimum portion is deferred. Some pensioners prefer this for budgeting around quarterly bills like rates or utilities. You set this preference through your Centrelink online account via myGov.
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Quick reference
$1,200.90 / fortnight
$1,100.30 + $86.50 + $14.10
$905.20 / fortnight
$829.40 + $65.20 + $10.60
$46.60 single · $35.10 each
$14.10 single · $10.60 each
Frequently asked questions
Why is my pension $1,200.90 and not a round number?
Because it's three separate amounts added together: the maximum base rate ($1,100.30), the maximum Pension Supplement ($86.50) and the fixed Energy Supplement ($14.10). Add them and you get $1,200.90 for a single pensioner from 20 March 2026.
Do part-pensioners lose the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement?
Not straight away. The income and assets tests reduce your total entitlement from the top. The Energy Supplement is fixed, and the minimum Pension Supplement ($46.60 single) is protected — your payment has to fall a long way before the supplement itself starts reducing. The supplement is the last component to disappear.
What's the difference between the maximum and minimum Pension Supplement?
The maximum ($86.50 single) is what full and near-full pensioners receive. The minimum ($46.60 single) is a floor that's protected as your base pension tapers — it doesn't reduce until your overall entitlement falls below it. The maximum minus the minimum is the "remaining" portion that can be tested away.
Can I get the Pension Supplement paid quarterly instead of fortnightly?
Yes — you can choose to have the minimum Pension Supplement portion paid as a quarterly lump sum rather than fortnightly. It accrues daily through the quarter and is paid after the March, June, September and December quarters. You set the preference in your Centrelink online account through myGov.
How often do these amounts change?
The base rate and Pension Supplement are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with CPI / the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index and average weekly earnings. The Energy Supplement is not indexed and stays fixed until the government legislates a change.
Is the Energy Supplement available to new pensioners?
It depends on your circumstances. Energy Supplement eligibility for new claimants is subject to grandfathering rules tied to receiving a qualifying payment before 20 September 2016. Check your personal eligibility directly with Services Australia.
Sources: Services Australia — How much Age Pension you can get; Services Australia — Pension Supplement; DSS Social Security Guide 5.1.9.10. Rates effective 20 March 2026 – 19 September 2026.