Sep 9, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams, SMSF, Superannuation
What is a commutation payment? Commutations are a withdrawals made from the capital supporting an account based pension. Commutations may affect Centrelink entitlements. The extent to which commutations affect Centrelink entitlements depends on a few factors, which...
Sep 9, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams, SMSF, Superannuation
The Centrelink schedule example shown below includes the information required by Centrelink/DVA for recipients who have an income stream product. The details in a Centrelink schedule can be used to complete the Centrelink Details of an income stream product (SA330)...
Sep 8, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams
A Centrelink Schedule is generally a one page document that is used to inform Centrelink of the various components relating to your superannuation income stream. This enables them to asses the amount of the income stream that should be assessed for ‘income...
Sep 7, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Death Benefits, Retirement Income Streams, SMSF, Superannuation, Superannuation Tax
A pension refresh strategy involves commuting an existing pension and commencing a new pension to include contributions accumulated since the original pension was initially established. Starting a superannuation pension does not prohibit a person from continuing to...
Sep 6, 2023 | Accessing Superannuation, Blog, Centrelink, Superannuation
Early access to superannuation via the Severe Financial Hardship Superannuation provisions is a complex area of Superannuation law. It is imperative that you consult a professional superannuation adviser and the trustee of your superannuation fund prior to withdrawing...
Sep 5, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams, Superannuation
The Centrelink Assets Test for superannuation savings is determined by your age and the value of your super accumulation and pension assets. Centrelink applies both an Assets Test and an Income Test. The test that results in you receiving the lower social security...
Sep 5, 2023 | Accessing Superannuation, Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams, SMSF, Superannuation
The Centrelink treatment of lump sum withdrawals from super is important to understand. There are a number of ways that lump sum withdrawals can be made from super and each way is assessed by Centrelink differently. Making one lump sum withdrawal from super has the...
Sep 5, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams, Superannuation
The deductible amount definition for Centrelink and DVA purposes refers to the amount of income received from an account based pension, allocated pension or defined benefit pension that is not assessed under the ‘Income Test’ When completing documentation...
Sep 4, 2023 | Blog, Centrelink, Retirement Income Streams, SMSF, Superannuation
A grandfathered account based pension is an account based pension where the assessment of the pension income is calculated using the deductible amount method. The current assessment of a non-grandfathered account based pension for social security or aged care purposes...
Sep 3, 2023 | Accessing Superannuation, Blog, Retirement Income Streams, SMSF, Superannuation
Prior to the significant superannuation reforms ‘simpler super’ in 2007, Allocated Pensions were the most common form of retirement income streams for retirees. Account Based Pensions came into existence as a result of the ‘simpler super’...