Steps to claim Age Pension
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1. Get your documents ready to claim
There are things to consider and do when you’re preparing to claim, like getting your supporting documents ready. To make this easier for you, we’ve put together information about how to prepare to claim.
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2. Set up your online accounts
The best way to claim is online.
To claim online you need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to create them.
You may need to confirm your identity with us before you start your claim.
If you have a correspondence nominee, they can complete any of these:
- an online claim for you
- separate online claims for you and your partner
- a combined partner claim for you and your partner using a paper claim form.
If you want to claim with your partner
If you and your partner are both claiming Age Pension, you may be able to submit a combined partner claim online.
The combined partner claim option only appears at the Review and Confirm stage of the claim. This option won’t appear if any of these apply:
- you’re in a crisis situation
- you and your partner are registered for the Pension Bonus Scheme
- you or your partner want to claim Age Pension for the blind.
To use the combined partner claim option all of these must apply before starting your claim. You and your partner:
- have your own myGov accounts linked to your own Centrelink online accounts
- have access to electronic messaging
- show as a couple in the Relationship Status section of your online accounts
- are Age Pension age or turning Age Pension age in the next 13 weeks.
You will need to provide details of all income and assets, including bank accounts that you and your partner own.
When you’ve completed your part of the claim, your partner will get a task to review in their online account. They must action this within 3 days of getting it. Then you or your partner can submit the combined partner claim.
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3. Make your claim
If you can claim online
If your Centrelink account is linked to myGov you can claim online.
To do this:
- Sign in to myGov.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status then Make a claim.
- Under Older Australians, select Get started then follow the prompts to complete your claim.
Make sure you submit the claim within 13 weeks from when you started it. If you don’t, it will expire and you’ll need to start again.
We may ask if you want to claim Age Pension for your partner. If you choose a combined partner claim, your partner will get an SMS or email from us. We’ll advise them to:
- sign in to myGov and select Centrelink
- select the task on their homepage
- answer questions.
They’ll have 3 days to do this before the task disappears. If this happens, they’ll need to start again and submit their own claim.
Our Centrelink online account guide How to claim a Centrelink payment online will step you through this process in more detail.
If you can’t claim online
If you can’t claim online, you can do any of the following:
- print and complete the Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus form and the Income and Assets form
- call us on the Older Australians line
- make an appointment to visit a service centre.
If you live outside Australia read how you can claim through an international social security agreement.
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4. Track your claim
After you submit your claim online, you’ll get a receipt telling you:
- we got your claim
- the ID number of your claim
- the date we estimate we’ll complete your claim
- a link to track its progress.
To track the progress of your application online, sign in to myGov and select Make a claim or view claim status.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
We can help if you’re in financial hardship or need special assistance while we process your claim.
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5. Find out the result
We’ll send a letter with the result to either your:
If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.
If you think we’ve made a mistake, you can ask us to review our decision.