When providing advice to a Centrelink age pensioner, a recent article in the mainstream press (7/9/16) suggested “for a relatively small amount, such as $500,000”. Of course “relative” can mean a number of things and is dependent upon - relative to what. So let’s look at that relativity. First we look at what $500k in super means to a single age pensioner – as was the case for the press article. Let’s assume that this was the total amount of assets held by the age pensioner. The age pension would be reduced from $870 to approx. $440pf for that “relatively” small amount. In 2017 that age pension is expected to be reduced by a further $7,700 pa. A weekly loss to the age pensioners 'budget' of nearly $150 per week from the current 2016 pension. Back to judging whether that $500k is a relatively small amount. In December 2015 the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Ltd(ASFA) published the report “Superannuation Account Balances by Ag...
Your age pension concierge service for Centrelink. Case studies and observations on claiming and maintaining the Centrelink age pension in Australia. The objective of this blog is to inform and promote discussion. Information contained within is generic and does not constitute advice, and professional assistance is recommended before any action taken with Centrelink.