Pensioners overseas
The information provided in this fact sheet applies to customers in receipt of Age Pension, Disability Support Pension1, Wife Pension, Widow B Pension, Carer Payment, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Service Pension and Income Support Supplement.
Please note that these arrangements apply to pensioners living overseas (generally, the only social security payments payable overseas indefinitely are the Age Pension and the Disability Support Pension for pensioners who have been assessed as severely disabled and having no work capacity).
An increase to the pension rate
From 20 September 2013, the maximum rate for pensioners living overseas is $773.20 a fortnight for a single pensioner and $584.50 a fortnight for each member of a couple (these amounts include the Pension Supplement basic amount).
The Pension Supplement ($61.70 a fortnight for singles; $93 a fortnight for couples combined) is paid for the first six weeks that a pensioner is outside Australia. After six weeks, the Pension Supplement basic amount is payable ($21.50 a fortnight for singles and $35.80 for couples combined).
Rent Assistance continues to be paid for the first 26 weeks of a temporary absence from Australia for age pensioners and for six weeks for all other pensioners.
More information
For more information please go to the ‘Australians overseas’ link at the Services Australia website or contact International Services from:
|
Austria |
0800 295 165 |
|
Canada |
1888 2557 493 |
|
China (North)* |
10 800 6100 427 |
|
China (South)* |
10 800 2611 309 |
|
Denmark |
8088 3556 |
|
Germany |
0800 180 2482 |
|
Greece |
0080 0611 26209 |
|
India |
000 800 61 01098 |
|
Indonesia |
001 803 61 035 |
|
Italy |
800 781 977 |
|
Korea Republic |
003 081 32326 |
|
The Netherlands |
0800 0224 364 |
|
New Zealand |
0800 441 248 |
|
Philippines |
1800 1611 0046 |
|
Poland |
800 6111 220 |
|
Portugal |
800 861 122 |
|
Singapore |
800 6167 015 |
|
Spain |
900 951 547 |
|
Thailand |
001 800 611 4136 |
|
Turkey |
00 800 6190 5703 |
|
UK |
0800 169 5865 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
800 061 04319 |
|
USA |
1866 3433 086 |
|
elsewhere |
+61 3 6222 3455 (or if above numbers not available) |
Note: These international free call numbers connect you directly to Services Australia International Services. This free call may not be available from every location within the country, and may not be free from mobile phones or public phones. You may need to insert coins/card in pay phones as for a local call and this may not be refunded at the end of the call.
* China (North) is the provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Shandong and Henan. All other provinces are considered to be China (South) for this purpose.
Last updated: