For UK Pension Credit, you can have up to £10,000 in savings without affecting payments, but for every £500 over that, £1 is counted as weekly income, reducing your credit; in Australia for the Age Pension, limits vary greatly, with single homeowners allowed around $321,500 in assets (including bank funds) for the full pension, while non-homeowners have higher limits, and the amount you can have before payment reduces depends on whether you own your home and your combined assets.
You can have up to $321,500 in assets as a homeowner single or $481,500 as a homeowner couple (combined) and still get the full Australian Age Pension (as of Sept 2025 - Mar 2026). For non-homeowners, the limits are higher: $579,500 for a single and $739,500 for a couple, with the exact amount depending on your home ownership status and relationship status, as Centrelink assesses total assets (including savings, super, investments, etc.) and income.
There isn't a savings limit for Pension Credit. However, if you have over £10,000 in savings, this will affect how much you receive. If you're a mixed-age couple (meaning only one of you is over State Pension age), you normally have to claim Universal Credit until you've both reached State Pension age.
The amount of savings you have in the bank will also be taken into account. People of pension age can have up to £10,000 savings in the bank before it affects their pension credit. So if you have savings over £10,000, it will start to count towards your income calculation.
If you have money, savings and investments between £6,000 and £16,000 your Universal Credit payments will be reduced. Your payments will be reduced by £4.35 for every £250 you have between £6,000 and £16,000. Another £4.35 is taken off for any remaining amount that is not a complete £250.
No. The State Pension is not means‑tested. This means your savings do not affect whether you receive the State Pension or how much you get. However, many pensioners receive additional support on top of the State Pension.
Starting November 2025, banks will enforce stricter identity and account verification checks under DWP's data-sharing arrangements. This means: Payments may be held if identity or bank details are not fully verified. Claimants with old or inactive accounts may need to confirm ownership.
Pensioners might need to pay tax on their interest if it's higher than their personal savings tax allowance. You'll need to declare any interest on your self-assessment tax return if you submit one.
Yes, any eligible candidate can open a senior citizen savings account with banks such as the State Bank of India. However, according to SBI's guidelines, a depositor can hold two or more SCSS accounts only if the deposits in all accounts taken together do not exceed Rs.15 lakh.
FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category — meaning a single person can protect far more than $250,000 by using different account types at the same institution.
You may be able to get one or both parts depending on your circumstances. Guarantee Pension Credit tops up your weekly income if you have a low income. Savings Pension Credit is an extra payment to reward people who have prepared for their retirement by having some savings or income.
You can have significant savings before losing your Australian Age Pension, with limits depending on whether you own your home and your relationship status, such as a single homeowner having up to $321,500 in assets for a full pension, while non-homeowners have higher limits, and a part pension is available with even more assets, up to around $700k-$900k before payments stop. The key is that your assessable assets (excluding your primary home) reduce your pension by $3 for every $1,000 over the lower threshold, but you can still get a part pension with much higher assets.
The pension allowance
The annual allowance is currently £60,000 (in 2025/26). That's the maximum amount you can save into your pensions each tax-year and still get the full benefit of tax relief.
How much money can I have in the bank before it affects my pension? It depends on your total assessable assets. For example, homeowner couples can have up to $481,500 in combined assets, including bank balances, before their pension is reduced.
You can take your whole pension pot as cash straight away if you want to, no matter what size it is. You can also take smaller sums as cash whenever you need to. 25% of your total pension pot will be tax-free. You'll pay tax on the rest as if it were income.
What's Changing From 10 January 2026
An Australian aged pensioner can have varying amounts in the bank (assets) before their payment is affected, depending on their homeownership and relationship status, with limits for a full pension for a single homeowner around $321,500 and a non-homeowner around $579,500, while couples have higher limits, with thresholds increasing for those receiving a part pension. Assets like bank accounts, shares, and property (excluding your principal home) are assessed, and once these limits are exceeded, the pension reduces by $3 for every $1,000 over the threshold, with higher limits for receiving a part pension.
As per the Indian Income Tax Act, depositing ₹10 Lakh or more in cash into a savings account during a fiscal year necessitates notifying tax authorities. However, deposits exceeding ₹50 Lakh in current accounts also require reporting.
Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension. You can get Pension Credit even if you have other income, savings or own your own home.
You don't need to lodge a tax return if:
Centrelink is not withholding tax from your pension payment and you have no other income. If your aged pension payment is your only source of income, then you do not need to lodge a tax return.
How much income tax should I be paying? We all have a personal tax-free allowance representing the amount of income you can receive before paying tax. For 2024/25, the Standard Personal Allowance is £12,570. This means that you can earn or receive up to £12,570 and not pay any tax.
From 20 September 2025, several changes will take effect for people who receive the Age Pension. These include increases to the maximum payment amounts, adjustments to income and asset thresholds, and a rise in deeming rates. This marks the end of the frozen period on deeming rates.
You may inherit part of or all of your partner's extra State Pension or lump sum if: they died while they were deferring their State Pension (before claiming) or they had started claiming it after deferring. they reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. you were married or in the civil partnership when they died.
Traditionally, many have recommended the 4% rule – you should withdraw no more than 4% of your total pension pot a year. This, however, is really a maximum, and many recommend a lower percentage – the Financial Times now cites 3.5% as the maximum 1. You can also choose where this income comes from.