How Much Pension

The maximum pension payable including pension supplement and pharmaceutical allowance is:

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
20/3/2009	575.80	957.80	478.90	575.80
20/9/2008	567.90	944.80	472.40	567.90
20/3/2008	552.60	919.40	459.70	552.60
20/9/2007	543.50	904.00	452.00	543.50
20/3/2007	530.90	882.80	441.40	530.90
20/9/2006	517.90	861.20	430.60	517.90
20/3/2006	505.50	840.20	420.10	505.50
includes a pension supplement of:
20/3/2009	19.50	32.60	16.40	19.50
20/9/2008	19.30	32.40	16.20	19.30
20/3/2008	18.80	31.60	15.80	18.80
20/9/2007	18.30	30.60	15.30	18.30
20/3/2007	18.30	30.60	15.30	18.30
20/9/2006	18.20	30.40	15.20	18.20
20/3/2006	17.80	29.60	14.80	17.80
and a pharmaceutical allowance of:
20/3/2009	6.00	6.00	3.00	6.00
20/9/2008	5.80	5.80	2.90	5.80
20/3/2008	5.80	5.80	2.90	5.80
20/9/2007	5.80	5.80	2.90	5.80
20/3/2007	5.80	5.80	2.90	5.80
20/9/2006	5.80	5.80	2.90	5.80
20/3/2006	5.80	5.80	2.90	5.80

The pension payable is the lower from the income and assets test.

Allowable Income (No dependants)

The income threshold before the pension reduces by 40 cents in the dollar for singles and 20 cents in the dollar each for couples is:

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
1/7/2008	138.00	240.00	240.00	240.00
1/7/2007	132.00	232.00	232.00	232.00
1/7/2006	128.00	228.00	228.00	228.00
1/7/2005	124.00	220.00	220.00	220.00
1/7/2004	122.00	216.00	216.00	216.00

Allowable Assets

The allowable assets threshold before a reduction of $1.50 per $1000 ($3 per $1000 before 20/9/2007) is different for homeowners and non homeowners. For couples the thresholds are combined assets.

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
Homeowners:
1/7/2008	171,750	243,500	243,500	243,500
1/7/2007	166,750	236,500	236,500	236,500
1/7/2006	161,500	229,000	229,000	229,000
1/7/2005	157,000	223,000	223,000	223,000
1/7/2004	153,000	217,500	217,500	217,500
Non Homeowners:
1/7/2008	296,250	368,000	368,000	368,000
1/7/2007	287,750	357,500	357,500	357,500
1/7/2006	278,500	346,000	346,000	346,000
1/7/2005	270,500	336,500	336,500	336,500
1/7/2004	263,500	328,000	328,000	328,000

Rent Assistance

No payment if rent is below:

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
20/3/2009	98.80	161.00	161.00	98.80
20/9/2008	98.00	159.60	159.60	98.00
20/3/2008	95.40	155.20	155.20	95.40
20/9/2007	93.80	152.60	152.60	93.80
20/3/2007	92.60	150.60	150.60	92.60
20/9/2006	91.80	149.40	149.40	91.80
20/3/2006	89.60	145.80	145.80	89.60

and the maximum rate of rent assistance is:

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
20/3/2009	111.20	104.80	104.80	111.20
20/9/2008	110.20	103.80	103.80	110.20
20/3/2008	107.20	101.00	101.00	107.20
20/9/2007	105.40	99.40	99.40	105.40
20/3/2007	104.00	98.20	98.20	104.00
20/9/2006	103.20	97.40	97.40	103.20
20/3/2006	100.60	95.00	95.00	100.60

Deeming Rates and Thresholds

Date	Threshold Single	Threshold Couple
1/7/2008	41,000	68,200
1/7/2007	39,400	65,400
1/7/2006	38,400	63,800
1/7/2005	37,200	62,000
1/7/2004	36,400	60,600
	Deeming Rate Lower	Deeming Rate Higher
20/3/2009	2.0%	3.0%
17/11/2008	3.0%	5.0%
20/9/2008	4.0%	6.0%
20/3/2008	4.0%	6.0%
20/9/2007	3.5%	5.5%
20/3/2007	3.5%	5.5%
20/9/2006	3.0%	5.0%
20/3/2006	3.0%	5.0%

Senior Australian Tax Offset

The thresholds and the maximum value of the tax offset is:

2007/8
Circumstance	Maximum Tax Offset	Max Tax Offset applies up to threshold	Cuts off above this threshold
Single, widowed, separated	Details available shortly	$25,867	Details available shortly
Married or defacto		$21,680
Spouse - illness separated
2006/7
Circumstance	Maximum Tax Offset	Max Tax Offset applies up to threshold	Cuts off above this threshold
Single, widowed, separated	$2,230	$24,867	$42,707
Married or defacto	$1,602	$20,680	$33,496
Spouse - illness separated	$2,040	$23,600	$39,920
2005/6
Circumstance	Maximum Tax Offset	Max Tax Offset applies up to threshold	Cuts off above this threshold
Single, widowed, separated	$2,230	$21,968	$39,808
Married or defacto	$1,602	$18,247	$31,063
Spouse - illness separated	$2,040	$21,167	$37,487

Pension Bonus Scheme

Single:
Maximum Bonus After	20/3/2009	20/9/2008	20/3/2008	20/9/2007	20/9/2006	20/9/2005
Year 1	1,392.60	1,373.80	1,336.40	1,134.10	1,283.30	1,251.60
Year 2	5,570.40	5,495.10	5,345.50	5,256.60	5,133.40	5,006.30
Year 3	12,533.30	12,364.00	12,027.40	11,827.20	11,550.10	11,264.20
Year 4	22,281.50	21,980.40	21,382.10	21,026.20	20,533.50	20,025.20
Year 5	34,814.80	34,344.40	23,409.50	32,853.50	32,083.60	31,289.30
Partnered (each):
Maximum Bonus After	20/3/2009	20/9/2008	20/3/2008	20/9/2007	20/9/2006	20/9/2005
Year 1	1,163.10	1,147.50	1,116.40	1,097.60	1,071.70	1,045.30
Year 2	4,652.40	4,589.80	4,465.70	4,390.40	4,286.80	4,181.20
Year 3	10,467.90	10,327.10	10,047.80	9,878.40	9,645.20	9,407.70
Year 4	18,609.60	18,359.30	17,862.70	17,561.60	17,147.10	16,724.80
Year 5	29,077.50	28,686.50	27,910.50	27,440.00	26,792.40	26,132.50

Health Card and Miscellaneous

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC):
30/6/2008	50,000 p.a.	80,000 p.a.	80,000 p.a.	100,000 p.a.
30/6/2007	50,000 p.a.	80,000 p.a.	80,000 p.a.	100,000 p.a.
30/6/2006	50,000 p.a.	80,000 p.a.	80,000 p.a.	100,000 p.a.
Seniors Concession Allowance (per quarter):
Dec 2008 Installment	128.50	128.50	128.50	128.50 each
Sept 2008 Installment	128.50	128.50	128.50	128.50 each
June 2007 Installment	107.00	107.00 each	107.00	107.00 each
Dec 2006 Installment	107.00	107.00 each	107.00	107.00 each
June 2006 Installment	104.40	104.40 each	104.40	104.40 each

For age pensions there is a utilities allowance paid and a telephone allowance. CSHC holders are paid the telephone allowance.

Utilities Allowance

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
Paid four times a year
March 2009 Installment	129.70 p.q.	129.70 p.q.	67.85 p.q.	129.70 p.q. each
Dec 2008 Installment	128.50 p.q.	128.50 p.q.	64.50 p.q.	128.50 p.q. each
March 2008 Installment	125.00 p.q.	125.00 p.q.	62.50 p.q.	125.00 p.q. each
Sept 2007 Installment	53.60 h.yr	53.60 h.yr	26.80 h.yr	53.60 each
March 2007 Installment	53.00 h.yr	53.00 h.yr	26.50 h.yr	53.00 each

Telephone Allowance

Date	Single	Couple both eligible	Couple one eligible	Couple illness separated
Paid four times a year
March 2009 with internet	34.60 p.q.	34.60 p.q.	17.30 p.q.	34.60 p.q. each
March 2009 Installment	23.00 p.q.	23.00 p.q.	11.50 p.q.	23.00 p.q. each
March 2008 with internet	33.00 p.q.	33.00 p.q.	16.50 p.q.	33.00 p.q. each
March 2008 Installment	22.00 p.q.	22.00 p.q.	11.00 p.q.	22.00 p.q. each
Sept 2007 Installment	22.00 p.q.	22.00 p.q.	11.00 p.q.	22.00 p.q. each
March 2007 Installment	21.40 p.q.	21.60 p.q.	10.70 p.q.	21.40 p.q. each

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