Income test
The limit
There is no assets test for this card — assets matter only insofar as an account-based pension is deemed. This is an estimate, not a determination; only Services Australia can decide. See the methodology and sources.
What this calculator does not check
- Age. You must be Age Pension age. This tool assumes you are.
- Residence rules, identity and tax file number requirements.
- Whether you already receive an income support payment from Centrelink or DVA — if you do, you cannot hold this card (you would generally hold a Pensioner Concession Card instead).
- Whether a particular income stream really is grandfathered — that turns on facts about the product and your card history, and it is the question most worth getting advice on.
Common questions
Is there an assets test?
No. The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card has an income test only. That is why people who are over the Age Pension assets cut-off can still hold this card — and why it is often the fallback worth checking the moment an Age Pension claim fails on assets.
Why does my account-based pension count when I barely draw from it?
Because Centrelink deems it. Rather than counting what you actually withdraw, it assumes a rate of return on the balance and counts that. The exception is a grandfathered pre-2015 stream, which is not deemed at all.
What exactly makes a pension "grandfathered"?
It is only exempt from deeming if you started it before 1 January 2015, you have held the card continuously since before 1 January 2015, and you have not switched or restructured the product since. Changing funds — even to a better one — usually ends the exemption permanently. If your partner owns the stream and is 60 or older, it is deemed regardless.
Is the limit a cliff or a taper?
A cliff. Unlike the Age Pension there is no part entitlement: one dollar over the limit and you do not qualify. That is what makes the margin figure above worth watching.
When do the limits change?
They are reviewed on 20 September each year against the CPI. Note that is a different cycle from Age Pension payment rates, which also change on 20 March.
Is anything I enter saved or sent to iAdvice?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is transmitted, stored or emailed. We record only anonymous usage — that the calculator was used and a broad result category — never the figures you type.
Close to the limit?
The card is a cliff, not a slope — which means the year you cross it matters, and so does how your income is structured. Whether that is worth doing anything about is a conversation, and it is one we have often.
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