In short

If you are permanently blind and get the Age Pension, Services Australia generally does not apply the income test or the assets test, so you can receive the full rate regardless of your means. The exemption is lost if you claim Rent Assistance, and a partner who is not also blind is still means tested. You need an ophthalmologist report to support the claim.

If you are permanently blind and receive the Age Pension, Services Australia generally does not apply the income test or the assets test to your pension, so you can be paid the full rate even where your income or assets would normally cut a pension to nil. There are exceptions: claiming Rent Assistance, having a partner who is not also blind, and receiving compensation all change the picture.

Who does this apply to?

Services Australia says that if you are legally blind and you are not claiming Rent Assistance, you may be able to claim the Age Pension without being assessed against the income and assets tests, and that you need to provide an ophthalmologist report to support the claim (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-age-pension). You still need to meet the usual rules for the Age Pension itself: reaching Age Pension age, which is 67, and meeting the residence rules.

What counts as permanently blind? The detailed medical test appears in Services Australia's and DSS's material for Disability Support Pension (DSP). To meet it, you must have one of the following: visual acuity of less than 6/60 in both eyes on the Snellen Scale after correction by suitable lenses; constriction of vision to within 10 degrees of fixation in the better eye, irrespective of corrected visual acuity; or a combination of visual defects resulting in the same degree of visual impairment (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/disability-support-pension-dsp-if-youre-permanently-blind; DSS Social Security Guide 3.6.2.40, https://guides.dss.gov.au/social-security-guide/3/6/2/40). Those pages set out the DSP test. The Age Pension page we have cited says only "legally blind" with an ophthalmologist report, so ask Services Australia to confirm the medical evidence it will accept for an Age Pension claim.

What exactly is switched off?

The DSS Social Security Guide states that the rates of Age Pension and DSP paid to blind people are not subject to the income or assets test unless the person claims Rent Assistance (DSS Social Security Guide 4.3.1.30, https://guides.dss.gov.au/social-security-guide/4/3/1/30). Services Australia's Age Pension income test page says the same from the payment side: if you are permanently blind and get the Age Pension, it doesn't use the income test unless you get Rent Assistance or your partner is getting a payment and is not also blind (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/income-test-for-age-pension).

In practice that means a blind pensioner's rate is not reduced by:

  • wages, business income or deemed income from savings and investments (the income test); or
  • the value of their assets, however large (the assets test).

For comparison, from 20 September 2026 a non-blind single homeowner's pension is nil once assessable assets reach $745,750 (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assets-test-for-age-pension), and the maximum total rate is $1,237.70 a fortnight single or $933.00 each for a couple (Services Australia, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-age-pension-you-can-get). See our 20 September explainer for the cut-offs. Because a blind pensioner is paid what the DSS Guide calls the "means test free rate", none of those cut-offs limit their pension. Services Australia also automatically sends a Pensioner Concession Card to people who get an eligible payment (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/pensioner-concession-card).

What are the exceptions?

1. Rent Assistance. The exemption is lost if you claim Rent Assistance. The DSS Guide says that if a blind person wishes to test their eligibility for Rent Assistance, their rate is calculated under the normal income and assets tests. The amount payable under those tests plus Rent Assistance is then compared with the means-test-free rate, and the higher of the two is paid (DSS Social Security Guide 4.3.1.30). So claiming Rent Assistance can only help you if the means-tested rate plus Rent Assistance beats the free rate, which is most plausible for someone with modest income and assets and high rent. For someone with significant assets or income, the free rate will usually be higher and there is no reason to claim. See our article on Rent Assistance for pensioners for how Rent Assistance works.

2. A partner who is not also blind. DSS says a pension paid to the partner of a blind person, who is not also permanently blind, is subject to the income and assets tests (DSS Social Security Guide 4.3.1.30). Services Australia's operational guidance adds that blind pensioners may be exempt from the means test, but income and assets details are still required to determine the partner's entitlement to payments or their entitlement to Rent Assistance (Services Australia, https://operational.servicesaustralia.gov.au/public/Pages/income-assests-and-rates-of-payment/108-03010100-01.html). The Age Pension income test page also lists a partner who gets a payment and is not blind as a case where the income test is used. Exactly how a couple is assessed can vary with circumstances, so confirm with Services Australia how your own household will be treated.

3. Compensation. The DSS Guide notes that rates for Age Pension, DSP and Disability Wage Supplement paid to blind people are affected by the payment of compensation (DSS Social Security Guide 4.3.1.30). If you have received or are claiming a compensation payment, see our article on the compensation preclusion period.

What does this look like in practice?

These cases are illustrative only, not personal advice, and Services Australia decides every claim.

Helen, 68, is single, owns her home, is permanently blind and has $950,000 in assessable assets and about $60,000 a year of income. A sighted single homeowner with those assets would be over the $745,750 cut-off and receive no pension. Helen has not claimed Rent Assistance and has no partner, so her rate is not means tested: she can be paid up to the full $1,237.70 a fortnight. What matters is that she claims, with an ophthalmologist report, rather than assuming she is "too well off".

Bob, 70, is single, permanently blind and rents privately for a high rent. His assets are modest. He can choose: take the means-test-free rate, or have his rate calculated under the income and assets tests with Rent Assistance added and be paid whichever is higher (DSS Social Security Guide 4.3.1.30). The comparison turns on his actual rent and means, so it is worth asking Services Australia to run both.

Ann, 71, is permanently blind and her partner Ray, 69, is not. Ann's own pension isn't means tested, but Ray's is, and Services Australia will need both partners' income and assets details to work out his entitlement. Ann and Ray should not assume the exemption covers the household.

How do I claim, and what should I do next?

  • Get the medical evidence early. Services Australia asks for an ophthalmologist report for a legally blind claim.
  • Claim when you reach Age Pension age. You can submit a claim in the 13 weeks before you reach Age Pension age; see our Age Pension claim process article.
  • Decide about Rent Assistance deliberately. It changes how you are assessed, so ask for both calculations before you claim it.
  • Tell Services Australia about a partner or compensation. Both change the position.
  • If you are under Age Pension age, the DSS Guide applies the same exemption to Disability Support Pension paid to blind people (DSS Social Security Guide 4.3.1.30); see the Services Australia DSP page.

Sources

Key takeaways

  • A permanently blind Age Pension recipient's rate is generally not subject to the income test or the assets test, so cut-offs such as the $745,750 limit for a single homeowner from 20 September 2026 do not limit their pension.
  • Services Australia says a legally blind person who is not claiming Rent Assistance may claim without being assessed against the income and assets tests, and must provide an ophthalmologist report.
  • Claiming Rent Assistance switches the means tests back on: the means-tested rate plus Rent Assistance is compared with the means-test-free rate and the higher is paid.
  • A pension paid to the partner of a blind person who is not also permanently blind is subject to the income and assets tests, and income and assets details are still required to assess that partner.
  • Compensation payments affect the rate paid to blind pensioners, and you must still meet the usual Age Pension age (67) and residence rules.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Age Pension means tested if I am blind?

Generally not. The DSS Social Security Guide says rates of Age Pension and Disability Support Pension paid to blind people are not subject to the income or assets test unless the person claims Rent Assistance. Services Australia says that if you are legally blind and not claiming Rent Assistance you may claim without being assessed against the income and assets tests, supported by an ophthalmologist report.

How much Age Pension does a blind person get?

A blind pensioner is paid the means-test-free rate rather than a rate reduced by income or assets. From 20 September 2026 the maximum total Age Pension is $1,237.70 a fortnight for a single person and $933.00 each for a member of a couple (Services Australia, retrieved 22 September 2026).

Does claiming Rent Assistance affect a blind pensioner?

Yes. If a blind person wants to test their eligibility for Rent Assistance, their rate is calculated under the normal income and assets tests. The amount payable under those tests plus Rent Assistance is compared with the means-test-free rate and the higher amount is paid, so it only helps if it exceeds the free rate.

What if my partner is not blind?

A pension paid to the partner of a blind person who is not also permanently blind is subject to the income and assets tests, and Services Australia still needs both partners' income and assets details to assess the partner's entitlement. Confirm with Services Australia how your household will be assessed.

What counts as permanently blind?

For Disability Support Pension the medical rules are visual acuity of less than 6/60 in both eyes after correction, constriction to within 10 degrees of fixation in the better eye, or a combination of visual defects with the same degree of impairment. For the Age Pension, Services Australia refers to being legally blind and needing an ophthalmologist report, so ask what evidence it will accept.

Do compensation payments matter for a blind pensioner?

Yes. The DSS Social Security Guide notes that rates of Age Pension and DSP paid to blind people are affected by the payment of compensation, so tell Services Australia if you have received or are claiming compensation.

A note on advice. This article is general information only and doesn't account for your personal circumstances. Everyone's situation is different — before acting, it's worth talking it through with a licensed adviser who knows your full picture.