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James Coyle
James has over 35 years experience in financial services with particular expertise in two of the key components of retirement finance - Superannuation and the Age Pension. He is passionate about providing the guidance and support that can help older Australians enjoy their best possible retirement. He lives in regional Victoria surrounded by dogs and chooks.
I have just received my QSuper statement. Does this need to be forwarded to Centrelink now or will they request it? Can’t see where on their site to up load it.
Thanks
Hi Leanne, thanks for seeking help! Centrelink won’t request the document from you so it is best to upload it yourself. When you log in to your online Centrelink account you will see an option in the top right hand corner that says “Documents and appointments” which if you click into you will see the “Upload documents” option.
I am currently going through the process of filling out the piles of paperwork and forms to apply for the Age Pension, and very shortly will visit my local Centrelink office to lodge the application. I am confident of qualifying for a part pension, and would like to know how long does the process take before payments commence ? Also, do I need to also apply for the CSHC separately, or does come automatically with receipt of the Pension ?
Hi Glenn, thanks for reaching out! Centrelink advise that claims can take up to 13 weeks to be approved but this is a guide, some are shorter and others are longer, it depends on each person’s make up of income and/or assets. The good news is you do NOT have to apply for the CSHC at all. The Age Pension comes with a Pensioner Concession Card which includes all the perks of the CSHC plus more so only the 1 claim and you will get the best card possible automatically upon approval.
Hi Steven, I just received my half yearly “Income Payment” from my Pension which paid into my bank account, do I have to report this as income?
On the other hand my Pension & Super values has dropped a lot since I started to received aged Pension in May 2022. Do I have to resubmit my bank statement & the Pension value to Centrelink?
Hi George, thanks for getting in on the conversation! It sounds like you are referring to an Account-Based Pension and if so the good news is these are treated as assets and assessed based on the total balance available in the account, not the amount you are paid from it. Therefore you do not need to declare the payment you received as it is not considered income. Regarding your super balances it is definitely a good idea to give Centrelink updated balances of these and all other assets such as bank accounts, cars etc. so that Centrelink can more accurately calculate how much Age Pension you are entitled to.
Do I need to report tax refund as income. We are on a low income health care card.
Hi Vicki, thanks for reaching out! Low Income Health Cards are not our specialty so it would be best to call Centrelink to be sure. I can tell you that tax refunds are not considered income for the purposes of Age Pension testing so I would presume it does not count for the Low Income Health Card but it would be best for you to confirm with Centrelink.
I will be applying for a part pension in 2024 when I turn 67. I emigrated to Australia from the UK when I was 28 years old and I’ve been told that Centrelink will expect me to claim some of my pension from the UK. Can you confirm if this is the case, and how I would go about doing this?
Hi Jacqueline, good to hear you loved Australia so much you couldn’t go back! You are correct, when Centrelink see how long you lived in the UK they will ask you to apply for the UK pension and then declare either how much you begin receiving or if you are not actually eligible but they will want formal proof one way or the other. You may wish to look into the UK pension criteria and if possible apply before you apply for the Australian Age Pension that way you can easily declare how much you are receiving from the UK as part of your Australian claim rather then having to muck around doing it afterward.
Hi Steven, thanks for your advise on the 3 Aug. I’m now chasing my pension/super provider for the update value balance reports, as well I’m waiting for my current bank statements then I can report to Centrelink.
Can you guide me through what will be the proper producers for reporting? Are there any Centrelink forms to accompany my financial documents?
Best regards
George Tsui.
Hi George, glad to hear you found my initial response helpful. We can formally assist you with updating everything with Centrelink via our Keeping Your Pension service. I’ll send you an email separate to this comment with further details about the service and cost so you can decide if you wish to proceed with our help or DIY.