How to Claim the Age Pension: The 6-Step Process and What You Need Ready
To claim the Age Pension you set up a myGov account linked to Centrelink (which gives you a Customer Reference Number, or CRN), gather your ID and financial documents, then lodge online up to 13 weeks before you turn 67. Most people who prepare their documents first finish the form in a single sitting and avoid the back-and-forth that drags a claim out for months.
The Age Pension is means-tested, so Services Australia (Centrelink) needs a complete financial picture before it can pay you. The single biggest reason claims stall is not ineligibility — it’s missing paperwork. This guide walks the exact 6 steps in order, tells you precisely which documents to have ready, and shows you the timing trick that gets your first payment landing in the fortnight you actually become eligible instead of months later.
You can submit your Age Pension claim in the 13 weeks before you reach Age Pension age. Lodging early means your claim is assessed and ready to pay from your very first eligible fortnight. You also must finish the claim within 13 weeks of starting it — an unfinished claim expires and you have to start again. Source: Services Australia — How to claim Age Pension.
The 6-step Age Pension claim process
Step 1 — Set up myGov, link Centrelink, and get your CRN
Everything runs through myGov. If you’ve never dealt with Centrelink, you’ll need to create a myGov account and then link a Centrelink online account to it. To link Centrelink you need a Customer Reference Number (CRN) — a unique number Centrelink uses to identify you.
- If you already have a CRN (from Medicare correspondence, a previous payment, or a Health Care Card), use it to link Centrelink to myGov online.
- If you don’t have a CRN, you can often prove your identity online through myGov; if that fails, you’ll need to phone Centrelink (Older Australians line) or visit a service centre with ID to be issued one.
Do this step weeks ahead. Getting a CRN can be the slowest part of the whole process if your identity can’t be verified online, and you can’t lodge the claim without it. (Services Australia — How to prepare to claim.)
Step 2 — Confirm you’re eligible before you start
Three gates have to be true. Check them before you spend time on the form:
- Age: you must be 67 or older. Age Pension age finished its phased increases and is now 67 for everyone. (Who can get Age Pension.)
- Residence: you must be an Australian resident, normally living in Australia, generally with at least 10 years of Australian residence (some exceptions and international agreements apply).
- Means tests: your income and assets must be under the cut-off points for your situation (single vs couple, homeowner vs non-homeowner). Even a small part pension is worth claiming because it unlocks the Pensioner Concession Card.
Step 3 — Gather your documents (the checklist that prevents 80% of delays)
Have these ready before you open the claim. The online form lets you upload supporting documents, so scan or photograph them in advance.
| Category | What to have ready |
|---|---|
| Identity | Passport, birth certificate, citizenship certificate or driver licence — enough to meet Centrelink’s 100-point ID check. Partner’s ID too if you’re a couple. |
| Bank & cash | Account numbers and current balances for every account (yours and your partner’s), plus term deposits. The BSB and account number you want pension paid into. |
| Income | Latest income statements: any employment, rental income, annuities, overseas pensions, and account-based income streams. |
| Assets | Value of shares and managed funds, second properties, vehicles, caravans/boats, contents (insured value), and any business interests. |
| Superannuation | Current balance of every super fund (yours and partner’s). Super counts once you’re of Age Pension age, so a recent statement matters. |
| Relationship & gifts | Marriage/relationship details, and a record of any gifts or money given away in the last 5 years (gifting limits apply). |
If you’re a couple, both partners’ finances are assessed even if only one of you is claiming. Pull your partner’s figures at the same time. (Services Australia — How to prepare to claim Age Pension.)
Step 4 — Lodge the claim online (up to 13 weeks early)
Sign in to myGov, choose Make a claim or view claim status → Make a claim, then under Older Australians select Get started and follow the prompts. The form pre-fills anything Centrelink already holds, asks the income/assets questions in plain language, and lets you upload your documents at the end.
If you can’t use the online claim, you can lodge the paper Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus (SA002) form instead. (SA002 form.) Already on another Centrelink payment? Centrelink writes to you about 13 weeks out and you may be able to transfer rather than make a fresh claim. (Transfer to Age Pension online.)
Step 5 — Submit, then watch the claim status
After you submit, the form gives you a receipt and any outstanding to-do items. Keep checking Make a claim or view claim status in myGov — if Centrelink needs one more document, it appears there, and unanswered requests are the #1 cause of a rejection or long delay. Respond fast.
Step 6 — Assessment and your first payment
Centrelink assesses your means tests and writes to you with the outcome and your fortnightly rate. Processing time varies with how busy they are and whether your documents were complete — clean, fully-documented claims move fastest, which is exactly why Steps 1–3 matter. Because you lodged inside the 13-week window, an approved claim is generally paid from your first eligible fortnight on or after you turn 67. The Age Pension is paid fortnightly into your nominated bank account.
Meet Robert, 66 and 9 months, single, homeowner in Adelaide. His 67th birthday is 14 September 2026. Here’s how he times it perfectly:
- June 2026 (now): Robert finds an old Medicare letter with his CRN, links Centrelink to myGov, and verifies his identity online. (If he had no CRN, he’d phone the Older Australians line this week — not the week he turns 67.)
- 13 weeks before 14 Sep = ~15 June 2026: the earliest he can lodge. He waits two weeks to gather documents properly rather than rushing.
- Late June: he scans his passport, screenshots his bank balances ($41,000 across two accounts), his super statement ($180,000), and his car’s market value (~$18,000). His home doesn’t count as an asset.
- 1 July 2026: Robert lodges online in about 45 minutes and uploads everything. Status: Submitted.
- July–August: Centrelink asks for one missing super document; he uploads it the same day. Status moves to In process.
- On/after 14 Sep 2026: because his assets sit below the single-homeowner cut-off, he’s approved and paid from his first eligible fortnight — no gap. He also receives a Pensioner Concession Card.
The lesson: the CRN and documents were done before his birthday. Robert never waited on Centrelink at the finish line — he waited only on the calendar.
Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid each one
| Why claims get rejected or delayed | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Claim expired (not finished within 13 weeks of starting) | Finish in one or two sittings; don’t start the form until your documents are ready. |
| No CRN / identity couldn’t be verified | Sort the CRN weeks early. If online ID fails, phone or visit a service centre with full ID. |
| Missing partner’s financial details | Couples are assessed jointly — gather both partners’ income, assets and super together. |
| Forgotten super balance | Super counts at Age Pension age. Include a current statement for every fund. |
| Over the assets or income cut-off | Check the current cut-off for your situation first. If you’re just over, you may still get a part pension — lodge anyway and recheck after the next rate update. |
| Ignored a Centrelink request for more info | Watch claim status in myGov and respond the same day to any to-do item. |
| Undeclared gifts in the last 5 years | Disclose gifts; gifting above the allowed limit is added back as a “deprived asset” for 5 years. |
How the means tests decide your rate
Centrelink runs both an income test and an assets test and pays you under whichever produces the lower rate. You don’t need to calculate this to claim — but knowing roughly where you stand stops surprises.
- Income free area: a single can earn up to $218 per fortnight, and a couple $380 per fortnight combined, before the pension reduces. Above that, your rate drops by 50c for every extra dollar (singles) or 25c each for couples. (Income test for Age Pension.)
- Assets test: there’s an asset free area, then your rate reduces by $3 per fortnight (singles) or $1.50 each (couples) for every $1,000 of assets above it, down to a cut-off where the pension stops. Your home is not counted. Exact free areas and cut-offs change in March, July and September — always read the live figures on the official page. (Assets test for Age Pension.)
Dollar thresholds are indexed and updated regularly, so before you rely on a specific number, confirm the current figure on Services Australia’s How much Age Pension you can get page.
- Set up myGov + a linked Centrelink account + a CRN first — this is the slowest step, so do it weeks ahead.
- You can lodge up to 13 weeks before you turn 67, and you must finish the claim within 13 weeks of starting it.
- Have ID, bank balances, income statements, asset values and super balances ready before you open the form — missing documents cause most delays.
- Couples are assessed jointly: gather both partners’ finances even if only one is claiming.
- Watch your claim status in myGov and reply same-day to any request — ignored requests are the top cause of rejection.
- Even a small part pension is worth claiming for the Pensioner Concession Card.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance can I claim the Age Pension?
You can submit your claim in the 13 weeks before you reach Age Pension age (67). Lodging early means an approved claim is ready to pay from your first eligible fortnight. You also must finish a claim within 13 weeks of starting it, or it expires.
What is a CRN and do I need one to claim?
A Customer Reference Number (CRN) is the unique number Centrelink uses to identify you. You need it to link a Centrelink online account to myGov, and you can’t lodge the online Age Pension claim without it. If you don’t have one, prove your identity through myGov or phone/visit Centrelink to be issued one.
Does my superannuation count when I claim?
Yes. Once you reach Age Pension age, your super balance is counted under both the assets test and (via deeming) the income test. Include a current statement for every super fund — yours and your partner’s — when you claim.
What documents do I need to claim the Age Pension?
Identity documents (to meet the 100-point check), bank account numbers and balances, income statements, the value of assets like shares and extra property and vehicles, and your superannuation balances. For couples, you need your partner’s figures too because you’re assessed jointly.
How long does an Age Pension claim take to be approved?
It varies with Centrelink’s workload and whether your claim is complete. Clean, fully-documented claims are processed fastest. Because you lodge within the 13-week window, an approved claim is generally paid from your first eligible fortnight on or after you turn 67, with no payment gap.
Is it worth claiming if I’ll only get a part pension?
Yes. A part pension still pays a fortnightly amount and, importantly, gives you a Pensioner Concession Card with discounts on medicines and other costs. If you’re just over a cut-off, lodge anyway and recheck after the next rate indexation.
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