📢 Update: Deeming Rates to Rise from 20 September 2025
The Government has announced an increase to social security deeming rates, effective from 20 September 2025. This marks the first increase since 2020, following a prolonged freeze at historically low levels.
From this date, deeming rates will rise by 0.5%, as follows:
- Lower deeming rate: 0.75% p.a. (up from 0.25%)
- Upper deeming rate: 2.75% p.a. (up from 2.25%)
According to the Government, this is just the beginning of a phased return to pre-pandemic settings, as inflation eases and economic conditions stabilise.
“As Australians begin to feel the positive impacts of inflation easing, the Government will now gradually return deeming rates to pre-pandemic settings — to reflect rates of return that pensioners and other payment recipients can reasonably access on their investments.”
🗓 Future Changes
Deeming rate adjustments are expected to align with the regular payment indexation dates — 20 March and 20 September each year.
💰 Deeming Thresholds from 20 September 2025
| Rate | Single | Pensioner Couple (combined) | Non-Pensioner Couple (each) |
| 0.75% | First $64,200 | First $106,200 | First $53,100 |
| 2.75% | On amounts above $64,200 | On amounts above $106,200 | On amounts above $53,100 |
Amounts in brackets represent the maximum income deemed at each tier per fortnight.
🧾 Example: What This Means in Practice
John, a single Age Pension recipient, has $308,000 in financial investments and $10,000 in household contents.
- Under current deeming rules, his assessable income is $5,646 p.a., and he receives the maximum Age Pension of $1,149 per fortnight.
- From 20 September 2025, the maximum Age Pension increases to $1,178.70 per fortnight.
- However, due to higher deeming rates, John’s assessable income will rise to $7,186 p.a., reducing his pension by $29.19 per fortnight.
📌 Key Takeaways
- The September 2025 increase is relatively modest and not expected to significantly impact most people receiving social security payments, concession cards, or paying aged care fees.
- Future increases, however, may reduce payments for those affected by the income test and could increase aged care fees (both Home Care and residential).
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) holders with deemed account-based pensions and low taxable income are unlikely to be affected. For example, a single CSHC holder with no other taxable income could have around $3.7 million in an account-based pension and still remain eligible.