Section 93J — Social Security Act 1991: Amount of pension bonus

No change in couple status during overall qualifying period (1) If: (a) a person was a member of a couple throughout the person’s overall qualifying period; or (b) a person was not a member of a couple at any time during the person’s overall qualifying period; the amount of the person’s pension bonus is worked out using the following formula (for rounding up, see subsection (7)): Change in couple status during overall qualifying period (2) If subsection (1) does not apply to a person, the amount of the person’s pension bonus is worked out using the following formula (for rounding up, see subsection (7)): (3) For the purposes of this section, a person’s annual notional single pension rate is equal to: (a) if the person is not permanently blind—the adjusted percentage of the sum of: (i) the person’s maximum basic rate under Table B in point 1064-B1; and (ii) the amount worked out for the person using the table in subsection 93H(4); calculated in each case as at the start day for the age pension and assuming that the person was not a member of a couple at that day; or (b) if the person is permanently blind—the sum of: (i) the person’s maximum basic rate under Table B in point 1065-B1; and (ii) the amount worked out for the person using the table in subsection 93H(4); calculated in each case as at the start day for the age pension and assuming that the person was not a member of a couple at that day. (4) For the purposes of this section, a person’s annual notional partnered pension rate is equal to: (a) if the person is not permanently blind—the adjusted percentage of the sum of: (i) the person’s maximum basic rate under Table B in point 1064-B1; and (ii) the amount worked out for the person using the table in subsection 93H(4); calculated in each case as at the start day for the age pension and assuming that the person was a member of a couple at that day; or (b) if the person is permanently blind—the sum of: (i) the person’s maximum basic rate under Table B in point 1065-B1; and (ii) the amount worked out for the person using the table in subsection 93H(4); calculated in each case as at the start day for the age pension and assuming that the person was a member of a couple at that day. (5) For the purposes of this section, a person’s adjusted percentage is the percentage worked out using the following formula (for rounding up, see subsection (8)): where: maximum basic rate is the sum of the person’s maximum basic rate worked out using Module B of Pension Rate Calculator A in section 1064 and the amount worked out for the person using the table in subsection 93H(4). (6) For the purposes of this section: (a) the number of single years during the overall qualifying period is the number of years during the overall qualifying period when the person was not a member of a couple; and (b) the number of partnered years during the overall qualifying period is the number of years during the overall qualifying period when the person was a member of a couple. Rounding up (7) An amount calculated under subsection (1) or (2) is to be rounded to the nearest 10 cents (with 5 cents being rounded up). (8) A percentage worked out under subsection (5) is to be calculated to 3 decimal places. However, if a percentage worked out under subsection (5) would, if it were calculated to 4 decimal places, end in a digit that is greater than 4, the percentage is to be increased by 0.001.