No, the Australian Blind Pension (either Disability Support Pension (Blind) or Age Pension (Blind)) is generally not means tested for income or assets, meaning your savings or earnings don't reduce your payment, a status known as "manifestly eligible" for permanent blindness. However, this changes if you claim Rent Assistance, receive compensation, or get certain other foreign payments, which do trigger income/asset tests, and any partner's pension is also assessed.
A single homeowner with more than $321,500 in assets will start to see a decrease in their Age Pension payments. If their assets reach $714,500, their Age Pension payments will be reduced to $0. For a non-homeowner couple, the maximum assets cut-off is $1,332,000.
Your income can reduce how much we pay you. We use the pension income test to assess Disability Support Pension (DSP). The assets test helps us work out if you can get paid Disability Support Pension. It also affects how much you'll get.
The main benefits are: Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Employment Support Allowance, Attendance Allowance. You may also be able to claim tax credits, Access To Work, Disabled Students' Allowance and Blind Person's Allowance.
A summary of DSP eligibility
You have a medical condition or conditions. Your medical conditions are diagnosed, reasonably treated, and stabilised. Your medical conditions are rated as 20 points or more on the Impairment Tables. You cannot work 15 or more hours a week.
You can have a significant amount in the bank and still get a full Australian Age Pension, as it depends on your total assessable assets (not just cash), living situation (homeowner/non-homeowner) and relationship status, with homeowner singles getting a full pension under the assets test with assets below approximately $321,500, while couples need under $481,500 (as of late 2025 figures), with higher limits for non-homeowners before payments reduce or stop. The pension reduces as assets increase past these thresholds, with higher cut-offs for receiving any part pension.
The Federal Government has announced changes to Age Pension payments from 20 September 2025, including a lift on the previously frozen deeming rates by 0.5% and an increase to the Age Pension of up to $29.70 for singles and $22.40 each for couples.
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.
Receiving an inheritance can impact your eligibility for Centrelink benefits such as the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker, or Family Tax Benefit, as it changes your income and assets.
In Australia, automatic qualification for disability support (like the Disability Support Pension or NDIS) isn't about specific conditions but rather about meeting "manifest" criteria for severe, permanent, or terminal impairments, such as being permanently blind, having an IQ under 70, needing nursing home care, Category 4 HIV/AIDS, or a terminal illness with less than a two-year life expectancy. Otherwise, eligibility for income support (DSP) or NDIS funding depends on demonstrating the condition's permanence and its substantial, long-term impact on daily life and work capacity, requiring medical evidence.
To get the full Australian Age Pension in late 2025/early 2026, a single homeowner can have up to $321,500 in assets, while a non-homeowner can have $579,500; for couples, these limits are $481,500 (homeowner) and $739,500 (non-homeowner). Assets include savings, investments, and property (excluding your primary home), and exceeding these thresholds reduces your pension, with higher upper limits for receiving a part-pension.
If you're over the free area, you get a lower pension until you reach the limit or cut off point. If you're permanently blind and get Age Pension, we don't use the income test unless you get Rent Assistance or your partner is getting a payment and is not also blind.
You may be eligible for SSDI benefits or SSI payments if you're blind. We consider you to be blind if your vision can't be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye.
Blind Person's Allowance is an extra amount of tax-free allowance. It means you can earn more before you start paying Income Tax.
You can have significant superannuation and still get an Australian Age Pension, but the amount depends on your assets (including super), living situation (homeowner/non-homeowner), and relationship status; for a part-pension in late 2025, a single homeowner's total assets (including super) must generally be under about $714,500, while a couple homeowner's is around $1,074,000, with higher limits for non-homeowners, and assets above these thresholds reduce the pension amount.
While exact real-time figures vary, recent analyses suggest hundreds of thousands of Australians hold over $1 million in superannuation, though it's a minority, with estimates from around 2021 pointing to over 400,000 people, a number that has grown significantly due to investment returns, though many still don't reach this milestone. About 2.5% of the population held >$1 million in super as of mid-2021 (around 417,000 people), with forecasts indicating a larger number, while projections suggest over 10% of women and 15% of men retiring by 2060 could reach this goal, and recent studies highlight that a large majority (around 94%) of retirees don't hit $1 million.
Throughout the year, the age pension can increase and eligibility requirements can change. You might be wondering, 'When will the old age pension stop in Australia? ' The good news is that there are no plans to stop the Age Pension.
Your home is not counted as an asset when calculating pension or payment, but it does affect how your pension or payment is assessed under the assets test. If you are a homeowner your asset value limit is lower than someone who does not own their residence.
Yes, $600,000 can be enough to retire at 60 in Australia for many, especially if you're a single person aiming for a comfortable lifestyle, but it depends heavily on your spending, assets, and eligibility for the Age Pension. While some sources suggest $600k covers a single's comfortable retirement (around $52k-$53k/year), it's near the lower end, and couples might need closer to $700k for a similar standard, making financial planning crucial for a stress-free retirement.
The happiest retirees have an average total monthly income of £1,700. To get at least that much a month, and assuming you retire at 65, you'll need to: Have a pension pot of about £172,500, after you've taken your tax-free cash. Be eligible for the full State Pension, which is currently £11,973 a year.
You must have an impairment rating of 20 points or more. An impairment rating is assigned by comparing your impairment to the Impairment Tables. You must be unable to work for 15 hours or more each week. If you have multiple impairments, you may also have to participate in a Program of Support.
Although the challenges individuals with disabilities face are unique and idiosyncratic, there are generally four main categories of disabilities – physical, behavioral, developmental, and sensory.
To get Adult Disability Payment, you must have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, or be terminally ill.