Average Couple vs Single: What Each Retires With — and What the Age Pension Adds

On ASFA's numbers, a couple needs just $100,000 more in super than a single person to retire comfortably. Two people need nowhere near twice the money - and the reason is the Age Pension. Here's a typical couple and a typical single side by side, on the latest super balances: what each one actually lives on, and what happens to the pension when a couple becomes a single. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@aussiewealthwithemma?sub_confirmation=1 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 A couple needs just $100,000 more 0:37 Centrelink adds a couple together 1:04 The one-and-a-half rule 1:54 Why the savings targets are so close 2:58 What a typical single and couple have 3:36 Robyn and her husband's numbers 4:41 The typical single's numbers 5:18 Single vs couple on one card 5:28 If one of you is under 67 5:50 When a couple becomes a single 6:33 The pension almost halves 7:21 How the drop depends on savings 7:53 The bereavement payment 8:25 Couples separated by illness 9:03 Couple vs single in one breath WHAT'S IN THIS ONE (Age Pension rates from 20 September 2026) - For a couple, Centrelink adds both partners' savings and incomes together - whose name the super is in doesn't matter (both 67 or older) - The one-and-a-half rule: a couple gets $1,866.00 a fortnight combined ($933.00 each) against $1,237.70 single; full-pension assets limit $499,000 couple vs $333,000 single (homeowners) - Why ASFA's comfortable lump sums are only $100,000 apart ($730,000 couple, $630,000 single): in the first year, the couple's pension is more than three times the single's (illustration, assets test, homeowners) - The typical single: 67+, homeowner, about the median $200,000 in super - about $42,036 a year with the minimum drawdown - The typical couple, Robyn and her husband: the men's and women's medians, $410,781 together - $1,810.30 a fortnight of pension, about $67,607 a year - Against ASFA's comfortable budget: the couple gets about 85.6% of the way, the single about 74.8% (screenshot card) - If one partner is under 67: accumulation super isn't counted until a pension starts from it - When a couple becomes a single: with the same savings, the single assets limit applies, and Robyn's pension falls to about $914.45 a fortnight - the household pension almost halves, while ASFA's costs fall by less than a third - How the drop depends on savings, from about two-thirds kept with modest savings to almost nothing at about $700,000 - The bereavement payment: a lump sum covering the gap between the couple amount and your new single rate for 14 weeks, if you were both on the pension - Couples separated by illness (for example, permanent aged care): each can be paid the single rate THE EXAMPLES ARE ILLUSTRATIVE: homeowners, 67+, $30,000 of car and contents, super in account-based pensions at the 5% minimum drawdown, Age Pension only. Median balances: ATO data as at June 2024 (ages 60-64), analysed by ASFA (August 2026). ASFA budgets: June quarter 2026. Related videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPFM-gEf2tk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChXDFL_yl-U&t=38s GENERAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER This video is general information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not personal financial advice. Centrelink outcomes depend on your own circumstances - check your position with Services Australia or speak with a licensed financial adviser before acting. A note on how this is made: Every script starts with real research and is checked against current ATO and Services Australia figures - that part isn't automated. AI tools produce the narration and visuals. I write, verify, and stand behind every word. Thanks for being here. #AussieWealth #Superannuation #RetirementAustralia #AgePension #CoupleVsSingle #RetirementPlanning #Centrelink #ASFA