The SA002 Age Pension Claim Form: Every Section Explained
The SA002 is the official Services Australia (Centrelink) form titled Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus. It is a 28-page paper claim that captures your identity, residence history, income and assets so Centrelink can run the income and assets tests. Most people now claim online through myGov instead — but the SA002 paper form still exists for anyone who prefers paper or can't claim online, and it asks for exactly the same information.
What the SA002 is — and when to use the paper form
The SA002 (current revision SA002.2305, 28 pages) is the standalone paper application for the Age Pension. It exists alongside the online claim, which you submit through your myGov account linked to Centrelink. Both routes ask the same questions; the difference is the channel.
Centrelink's strong default is the online claim. If your Centrelink account is linked to myGov, you sign in, choose Make a claim → under Older Australians select Get started, and follow the prompts. You can upload supporting documents in the same session, and a digital claim is generally processed faster because data is validated as you go.
Use the paper SA002 when:
- You don't have a myGov account linked to Centrelink and prefer not to set one up.
- You have limited internet access, or simply find paper easier to work through at your own pace.
- You're helping a parent or partner who isn't comfortable online — the paper form is easy to fill in together at a kitchen table over several sittings.
You can lodge your claim in the 13 weeks (about three months) before you reach Age Pension age, which is currently 67. Lodging early means your payment is more likely to start on time once you qualify.
Whichever route you choose, the form numbers and questions referenced here come from the official Services Australia SA002 and its companion forms. Centrelink revises forms periodically, so always download the current version from servicesaustralia.gov.au/sa002 rather than reusing an old printout. We have not reproduced individual question/box numbers below because they change between revisions — work from the live form for those.
Section-by-section walkthrough
The SA002 is organised into blocks of questions. The exact numbering shifts between revisions, but the structure is consistent. Here is what each block is actually testing and where people go wrong.
1. Personal details
Your name (and any other names you've been known by — maiden names, previous married names, name changes), date of birth, contact details, and your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) if you already have one. If you have a partner, you'll give their details too, because the Age Pension is assessed on a couple's combined income and assets. You'll also confirm your relationship status and living arrangements (single, member of a couple, separated, etc.), which determines whether single or couple thresholds and rates apply.
2. Residence and residency
This block establishes that you meet the residence rules. To qualify you must generally be an Australian resident and have been an Australian resident for at least 10 years in total, with at least 5 of those years in one continuous period. The form asks for your residence history — countries you've lived in, the dates, your citizenship/visa status, and any periods overseas. If you've lived or worked in a country Australia has an international social security agreement with, note it; those agreements can help you meet the residence test.
3. Income
Here you declare money coming in: employment or self-employment income, income from financial investments (bank accounts, term deposits, shares, managed funds), rental income, income from overseas (including foreign pensions), and any income streams such as account-based pensions or annuities. Most of this detail is actually captured on the companion SA369 Income and Assets form (see below), which the SA002 directs you to complete and attach.
4. Assets
Assets are what you own: balances of bank/cash accounts, the value of shares and managed funds, superannuation, motor vehicles, household contents and personal effects (at their second-hand/market value, not insured replacement value — a very common over-statement), and real estate other than your principal home. Your principal home is exempt from the assets test, but you still report whether you own it because home-ownership status changes which assets-test thresholds apply to you. Like income, the detail lives on the SA369.
5. Pension Bonus and other questions
Because the form is the Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus, it includes Pension Bonus Scheme questions for the small number of people registered in that now-closed scheme. If that's not you, you simply indicate it doesn't apply. The form also covers tax (whether you want tax withheld), payment/bank account details for where your pension will be paid, and your authorisation/declaration signature.
The accompanying forms: SA369 and the real estate module
The SA002 is rarely lodged on its own. Centrelink directs most claimants to also complete:
| Form | Title | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| SA002 | Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus | The core claim — identity, residence, relationship status, declarations. |
| SA369 | Income and Assets | The detailed schedule of every income source and asset: accounts, term deposits, shares and dividends, managed funds, superannuation, income streams, and assets you own. |
| SA436 | Real Estate Details | The module for any real estate you own other than your home — investment property, vacant land, holiday home, a share in a property. One per property, with the address, ownership share, estimated market value and any mortgage. |
Think of it this way: the SA002 is the cover claim, the SA369 is the financial spreadsheet, and the SA436 real estate module is an attachment you add once per non-home property. If you own no investment property, you skip the SA436 entirely. Always download the current versions of each from Services Australia, as revision numbers change.
Robyn, 67, single, Brisbane. Robyn is claiming the Age Pension. She owns her home (exempt), plus a small one-bedroom investment unit on the Gold Coast. Her financial position:
- Bank savings: $28,000
- Term deposit: $40,000
- Shares (ASX-listed): $22,000 (estimated market value)
- Superannuation in account-based pension: $95,000
- Car: $9,000 (second-hand value)
- Household contents & personal effects: $5,000 (garage-sale value, not insured value)
- Investment unit: $310,000 market value, with a $120,000 mortgage
Which forms does she lodge?
- SA002 — her personal details, residence history (she's lived in Australia 40+ years, easily meeting the 10-year / 5-continuous test), single status, and bank account for payment.
- SA369 — she lists the savings, term deposit, shares, super income stream, car and contents. Her assessable financial and personal assets total $28,000 + $40,000 + $22,000 + $95,000 + $9,000 + $5,000 = $199,000.
- SA436 — one Real Estate Details module for the Gold Coast unit. Centrelink counts the property at its net value: $310,000 − $120,000 = $190,000 toward the assets test (the home stays exempt and is not listed here).
Robyn's total assessable assets are therefore $199,000 + $190,000 = $389,000. She attaches bank and term-deposit statements, a recent share holding statement, her super fund's income-stream schedule, and her latest rates notice and loan statement for the unit. Without the SA436, Centrelink would have to come back and ask for the property detail — adding weeks. Because she lodged all three together with evidence, her claim moves straight into assessment. (Whether $389,000 in assets results in a full, part, or nil pension depends on the current assets-test thresholds — see our eligibility guide.)
How to lodge the completed form and the evidence required
Once your SA002, SA369 and any SA436 modules are filled in and signed, you have three ways to lodge:
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Online (myGov) | Sign in to myGov linked to Centrelink, complete the online claim and upload document photos/scans. | Fastest processing; data validated as you go. |
| In person | Take the completed forms and your documents to a Centrelink service centre. Staff can help and can sight original ID. | People who want help or need identity documents verified. |
| By post | Mail the completed forms and copies (never originals) of your documents to Services Australia. Keep a full copy for yourself. | People without internet who can't reach a service centre easily. |
Centrelink will typically ask for supporting documents to verify what you've declared. Exactly which documents depend on your circumstances, but commonly include:
- Proof of identity — Centrelink uses a points-based identity check (e.g. passport, birth certificate, driver licence, citizenship/visa documents).
- Bank and investment statements — recent statements for every account, term deposit, share holding and managed fund listed on the SA369.
- Superannuation / income-stream documents — your fund's latest statement and, for account-based pensions, a Centrelink income-stream schedule (often called a Details of income stream product / SA330-style schedule) from the provider.
- Real estate evidence — for any non-home property: a recent rates notice or valuation and the latest mortgage statement.
- Residence evidence — if relevant, documents supporting your residence history or visa status.
Check the official supporting documents for Age Pension list and the document checklist printed inside the SA002 itself, because the precise list is matched to your individual claim.
Common errors that delay processing — and how to avoid them
| Mistake | Why it delays you | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Lodging the SA002 without the SA369 | Centrelink can't run the income/assets test, so the claim stalls waiting for the financial detail. | Always submit the SA369 (and any SA436) with the SA002 in one bundle. |
| Valuing contents at insured/replacement value | Inflates your assets and can wrongly reduce or block your pension. | Use second-hand/market ("garage sale") value for furniture, jewellery and effects. |
| Listing the family home as an asset | Your principal home is exempt; listing it causes confusion and back-and-forth. | Report that you own it (it affects thresholds) but don't enter it as an assessable asset. |
| Missing partner details | Couples are assessed jointly; a half-finished couple section means a request for more info. | Complete every partner field even if only one of you is claiming. |
| Unsigned form or missing declaration | An unsigned claim is invalid and gets returned. | Sign and date the declaration; if there's a partner, both sign where required. |
| Blurry or partial document scans | Centrelink can't read them and asks you to resubmit, restarting the wait. | Upload clear, complete pages; statements must show your name and the full balance. |
| Leaving questions blank instead of writing "Nil" or "N/A" | A blank field looks unanswered and triggers a follow-up. | Write "Nil" or "Not applicable" so it's clear you didn't skip it. |
- The SA002 (revision SA002.2305, 28 pages) is the paper Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus; the online myGov claim asks the same questions and is usually faster.
- It's almost always lodged with the SA369 Income and Assets form, plus an SA436 Real Estate Details module for each non-home property.
- Age Pension age is 67; you can lodge up to 13 weeks early; you generally need 10 years' residence (5 continuous).
- Value household contents at second-hand value, never insured replacement value, and remember the family home is asset-test exempt.
- The fastest claims arrive complete: all forms, signed, with clear supporting documents in one bundle.
SA002 frequently asked questions
Do I have to use the paper SA002, or can I claim online?
You can do either. If your Centrelink account is linked to myGov you can claim the Age Pension online and upload documents in the same session, which is generally faster. The paper SA002 is for people who prefer paper or can't claim online — it asks the same questions.
What's the difference between the SA002 and the SA369?
The SA002 is the main Age Pension claim (identity, residence, relationship status, declarations). The SA369 Income and Assets form is the detailed financial schedule — every account, share, super and asset. You normally lodge both together; the SA002 directs you to complete the SA369.
When can I lodge my Age Pension claim?
You can lodge in the 13 weeks (about three months) before you reach Age Pension age, which is currently 67. Lodging early helps your payment start on time once you qualify.
I own an investment property — which form covers it?
The SA436 Real Estate Details module. You complete one per property other than your home, listing the address, your ownership share, estimated market value and any mortgage. Centrelink assesses the net value (market value minus the loan). Your principal home is exempt and is not listed there.
What supporting documents do I need to attach?
Typically proof of identity, recent bank and investment statements, superannuation/income-stream documents, and — for any non-home property — a rates notice or valuation plus the latest mortgage statement. The exact list is matched to your claim; check the document checklist inside the SA002 and Services Australia's supporting-documents page.
Why is my claim taking so long?
The most common cause is a missing companion form (SA369 or SA436), unsigned declaration, or unclear document scans, which makes Centrelink pause and request more information. Lodging everything complete, signed and legible in one bundle is the single biggest thing you can do to speed it up.
Get the free Age Pension claim checklist
A one-page printable list of every form and document to gather before you lodge the SA002 — so your claim isn't sent back.
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Official sources: Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus form (SA002) · How to claim Age Pension · Who can get Age Pension · Residence rules for Age Pension · Supporting documents for Age Pension — all Services Australia.