Initial contact by a customer who has retired or is about to retire 065-01010000

Customers who are planning for retirement or who have already retired may need help to make the best use of their savings and investments to maintain their standard of living. They may also require income support. When they attend Services Australia, the primary outcome for both the person and the Services Australia partner agency is to ensure that those who are unable to provide for themselves have adequate income in retirement.

Services Australia also aims to enhance the quality of life of older Australians through support for positive and healthy ageing and the provision of a cohesive framework of high quality and cost effective care services for frail older people and their carers.

A person making initial contact about a claim should be invited to lodge this claim even if there is doubt that they may be eligible.

Age Pension is a non-contributory income support payment for people who are Age Pension age and meet Australian residence and means test qualifications. It is a Services Australia payment and provides income support and a range of concessions for eligible older Australians.

An Age Pension paid to a person who is permanently blind is commonly referred to as a 'Blind' Pension. However, there is no payment called 'Blind Pension'. Older Australians wanting to be assessed for Age Pension (Blind) should be issued the Request for Ophthalmologist/Optometrist Report (SA013).

Age Pension (Blind) recipients receive certain concessions not provided to other Age Pension recipients.

This is a tax free lump sum which may be payable to registered members of the Pension Bonus Scheme (PBS) who have deferred claiming Age Pension and stayed in paid work. The PBS is closed to new registrations from 1 July 2014, but members may remain in the scheme and claim their bonus in due course, in line with existing arrangements.

At initial contact, PBS registered members must be offered a referral to a Financial Information Service (FIS) contact and details of the member's response recorded.

A registered member of the PBS must claim the Pension bonus when Claiming Age Pension.

This is a tax free payment to the surviving partner of a deceased member of the Pension Bonus Scheme (PBS) who did not make a claim for Age Pension or bonus before they died.

No payment is made to the estate of a single person who died before claiming Age Pension and the Pension bonus.

Older Australians who have reached Age Pension age but are not eligible for the Age Pension due to the means test may qualify for a CSHC. Eligibility for a CSHC is subject to an income test (see Resources page for a link to information on the Services Australia website)

The CSHC will give entitlement to prescription medicines at a reduced price under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). CSHC holders are also entitled to Quarterly Supplement.

• The HEAS is a voluntary arrangement that provides financial support in the form of a government funded loan that is repayable to the Commonwealth
• The HEAS is available to older Australians and their partners who wish to supplement their income with a loan secured against their Australian real estate
• The loan is paid in fortnightly instalments or can be paid in lump sum advance payments (or a combination of both)
• The loan accrues interest which compounds fortnightly until the customer repays the balance in full

Customers should seek independent financial or legal advice before making a decision to apply for the HEAS.

See Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS) for more details.

A care recipient receiving a home care package may require an income assessment, and care recipients entering permanent residential aged care may require a combined asset and income assessment.

Before July 2014, Aged Care Means Test Assessments were known as Residential Care Assessments (RCA) which covered 2 different types of assessments; Residential Care Income Assessments (RCIA) and Residential Care Assets Assessment (RCAA