Helping a Parent with
Their Age Pension
If your parent has been denied the Age Pension, is being underpaid, or is struggling to navigate the system, this guide walks you through exactly what to do — step by step, in plain English.
This is a peer support guide, not legal advice. For complex cases, contact the Welfare Rights Centre (1800 226 028) — free legal help for pension matters.
Start Here
Work through these six steps in order. Each one takes 5–15 minutes and requires no specialist knowledge.
Check If They Qualify
Use our eligibility checker to run through the income test, assets test, and residency requirements. You can do this on their behalf — you just need to know their approximate assets and income.
Understand Why They Were Denied
If they have already applied and been denied, the decision letter will state a reason. The most common reasons are: assets too high, income too high, residency not met, or not yet age 67. Each has a different appeal pathway.
Check the Appeal Deadline
The deadline to request an Authorised Review Officer (ARO) review is 13 weeks from the date of the decision letter. Enter the date to see how much time is left.
Use the AI Case Assistant
Describe your parent's situation and get step-by-step guidance tailored to their specific denial reason. The assistant is trained on Australian pension law and appeal procedures.
Common Scenarios
My parent was denied because of the assets test
This is the most common reason. Check whether the assets assessment included the family home (it should not), whether any assets were incorrectly valued, and whether any gifting rules were misapplied.
My parent thinks they're being underpaid
Underpayment is common, especially for people with term deposits or managed funds. Centrelink uses 'deeming rates' to estimate income from financial assets — these rates are often higher than the actual return.
My parent has been waiting months for a decision
Centrelink is currently taking 49–84 days to process new applications. After 13 weeks with no decision, you can treat the silence as a refusal and appeal immediately under the 'deemed refusal' rule.
Becoming a Centrelink Nominee
If your parent is unable to manage their Centrelink affairs independently — due to age, illness, or low tech confidence — you can apply to become their correspondence nominee or payment nominee. This allows you to receive letters, make enquiries, and act on their behalf for all Centrelink matters.
Correspondence Nominee
Receives all Centrelink letters and can make enquiries on their behalf
Payment Nominee
Receives pension payments on their behalf (requires additional approval)