Rules introduced as part of the Secure and Sustainable Pension Reforms that came into effect on 20 September 2009. For income and assets test purposes the changes include:

• an increase to the income test taper rate from 40 cents to 50 cents on the dollar,
• the abolition of the additional child income free area,
• the introduction of a fortnightly pension supplement to replace telephone allowance, utilities allowance, pharmaceutical allowance and the GST supplement, and
• the introduction of a work bonus, whereby only 50% of the first $500 per fortnight of employment earnings is assessable for eligible pensioners.