On the day you claim you must be all of the following:
- living in Australia
- physically in Australia
- an Australian resident.
How long you need to have been a resident
To get a Pension Bonus you need to have been an Australian resident for at least 10 years in total. For at least 5 of those years, there must be no break in your residence.
How else you may meet the rules
Some people can get a Pension Bonus if they've been an Australian resident for less than 10 years.
If you’re a refugee
If you’re a refugee or former refugee you are exempt from the 10 year rule.
If you’re a woman whose partner has died
If you’re a woman whose partner has died, you may be eligible for a Pension Bonus. To get this, both of the following must apply to you:
- you must be an Australian resident for the 2 years before you claim
- both of you must have been Australian residents when your partner died.
If you were getting another payment
If you were getting one of the following when you reached Age Pension age, you may be able to get a Pension Bonus:
- Mature Age Allowance
- Partner Allowance
- Widow Allowance
- Widow B Pension.
Mature Age Allowance payments stopped in 2008.
Widow B Pension payments stopped in 2020.
Partner Allowance and Widow Allowance payments stopped in January 2022.