Payments, concessions and support

There are other payments, concessions and help available for people who get Age Pension.

Payments

If you get Age Pension, there are other payments you may be eligible for.

Advance payment

You may be able to get part of your Age Pension as an advance payment. You pay it back later out of your payments from us.

Carer Allowance

If you give additional daily care to someone, you may get Carer Allowance each fortnight. The person you care for must have one of these conditions:

  • have a disability
  • have a serious illness
  • be frail aged.

Essential Medical Equipment Payment

If you need help with energy costs, you may get an Essential Medical Equipment Payment each year. You can get this payment if you or the person you care for:

Energy Supplement

If you get Age Pension you may get an extra payment to help with your energy costs. We’ll pay this Energy Supplement with your Age Pension each fortnight.

Home Equity Access Scheme

If you need a little extra to live on each fortnight, you can apply for a voluntary non-taxable loan. But you must qualify for Age Pension and own a property to be eligible. Under the Home Equity Access Scheme you’ll get a payment each fortnight and you can pay it back at any time. The loan accrues compound interest each fortnight until you repay the loan in full.

Pension Supplement

To help with your bills and medicine costs, you may get an extra Pension Supplement with your Age Pension.

Remote Area Allowance

If you live in an identified remote area you may get Remote Area Allowance each fortnight.

Rent Assistance

If you pay rent, you may get Rent Assistance with your Age Pension to help with this cost.

You can also get other payments depending on your situation. Read more about payments for older Australians.

Concessions

If you get Age Pension, you’ll also get a Pensioner Concession Card which gives you cheaper:

  • health care
  • medicine
  • some other discounts in your community.

Read more about the benefits of this card.

Support

We have support services you may be interested in.

Centrepay

Centrepay is a free and voluntary service to pay bills and expenses as regular deductions from your Age Pension.

Financial Information Service

Our free Financial Information Service can inform and educate you about financial matters.

Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers

Our Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers help grandparents and non parent carers who provide ongoing care for children.

Centrelink Indigenous Call Centre

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australians can call the Centrelink Indigenous Call Centre about our payments and services.

Multicultural Service Officers

Our Multicultural Service Officers help migrant and refugee communities connect with our services.

Rent Deduction Scheme

Use the Rent Deduction Scheme to pay your public housing rent straight from your Age Pension.

Social work services

If you’re going through a difficult time, our social workers can help you.

Tax Deduction Service

You can use the Tax Deduction Service to pay tax on your Age Pension.

Work Bonus

You can earn more income from working, if you’re an eligible pensioner, without reducing your Age Pension. We call this the Work Bonus.

Page last updated: 16 February 2023.
QC 51936