We recently assisted a number of financial advisors on methods to achieve the full pension while still working.
To explain the options we will look at the process in small steps and be a bit simplistic. In subsequent post we will expand upon the scenario.
Let's say we have a couple - Jack & Jill - who run a small business, are both of age pension age and are paying themselves a small wage.
We may have both Jack and Jill paying themselves $6,500 per annum - which is the limit of the Work Bonus Scheme. Hence this combined $13,000 pa is exempt from the income test.
Now lets say they have other earnings of $7,000 pa - such as additional income. More typical would be if this income were as a result of deemed income. For example they may have $250,000 in bank accounts - below the assets test - which results in a deemed income of just under $7,000 pa. Again this income is below the income test threshold of approx. $7,400 pa.
So they now have a combined income of $20,000 pa - wages and deemed income.
The full pension for a couple is more than $33,000 pa.
The combined income is more than $53,000 pa.
Several recent queries have suggested we update our knowledge base on the Work Bonus Scheme (WBS). The WBS provides a facility whereby the first $6,500 of age pensioners 'wages' is exempt from the income test. The WBS can apply to both you and your partner thereby providing a total of $13,000 of exemptions. In a previous blog entry we discussed how a couple on the full pension was ‘earning’ more than $20,000 on top of the full pension. Each were employed on $6,500 pa and had a $250,000 bank account earning a deemed income less than the 'other' income threshold. This is because the WBS is in addition to the the income test threshold allowance of just over $7,000. So a total of more than $20,000 can be exempted from all classes of income test. Now it should be noted the WBS only applies to only certain classes of employment - refer below. What happens if the age pensioner does not earn a consistent wage - i.e. not a steady amount over the year - yet sti...
I think you may find the $7000 deemed income is counted as income in the income test.
ReplyDeleteI think you will find that the Work Bonus Scheme deductions for employment are undertaken before considering other income sources - e.g. deemed income. The above numbers have been confirmed with Centrelink with the full pension entitlement payable in addition to the employment income.
DeleteThere have been some changes to the Work Bonus Scheme with respect to 'credits' for each reporting period. I may do a new blog to explain how this operates and further clarify the above.