Key takeaways
- Lenders view pensioners as higher-risk borrowers for home loans because they are typically older and on smaller incomes.
- A lender may be willing to offer a home loan to a pensioner, and may consider your pension as a form of income when assessing your application.
- A broker can help you look for loans and lenders that match your requirements. Their services are typically free to you because the lender you choose will pay them a commission
Getting a loan as a pensioner always comes down to the lender's eligibility criteria and your individual circumstances. This includes your savings and other sources of income, whether you have outstanding debts or not and the amount you are hoping to borrow.
How can I get a home loan on a pension?
If your only source of income is the pension, then this might limit your options. The pension amount is lower than the income level most lenders require you to earn in order to repay a loan.
However, there are several ways a pensioner can apply for mortgage finance. The best option for you depends on your financial situation.
1) Apply for a standard home loan
If you have forms of income from other sources or you are only borrowing a small amount, you may be able to apply for a home loan like any other borrower. If this is your situation you might be able to get a competitive interest rate, so be sure to compare your home loan options.
2) Apply with a specialist lender
There are lenders who specialise in providing finance solutions to borrowers in difficult or unique circumstances. There are even lenders who focus entirely on older borrowers. These types of lenders provide loans known as specialist or non-conforming loans.
Non-conforming lenders may be able to help where the big banks can't. But they often charge higher interest rates and fees.
Keep in mind that many lenders that specialise in "senior's finance" don't actually lend to pensioners who don't already own property. Instead they offer reverse mortgages and other forms of equity access to older Australians who already own property.
3) Talk to a mortgage broker
Perhaps the best option for pensioners looking for a home loan is to get in touch with a mortgage broker. This is because mortgage brokers specialise in helping borrowers in unique circumstances and they have access to a wide panel of lenders.
A broker can help you look for loans and lenders that match your requirements. Their services are typically free to you because the lender you choose will pay them a commission.
What documents do pensioners need for a home loan?
As a pensioner you will need to provide a few extra documents in addition to the standard documents in a mortgage application. Every lender has their own requirements but you'll generally need to provide the following:
- Evidence of funds to complete the deposit.
- Bank statements showing Centrelink benefits being paid into your bank account (i.e. some lenders require 6 months of recent bank statements).
- Letter from Centrelink (or other relevant government department) confirming the status and nature of your disability pension.
What about borrowers on disability pensions and veterans' pensions?
Disability Support pensions
Generally, lenders consider a disability pension to be a valid form of income, meaning they treat a home loan application for someone on a disability pension just like any other application.
Most lenders will review your application on a case-by-case basis. Your eligibility for a home loan will depend on the amount of income you receive and how much of this can be used to service a loan.
Other factors including your age, assets and debts will be assessed by a lender on an individual basis.
Veterans' pensions
Many lenders may accept a Veterans' Pension as a source of income for a home loan. This applies if you are receiving:
- War Widow's or Widow's Pension
- Service Pension
- Veterans' Affairs Age Pension
Additionally, lenders may accept the Department of Veterans' Affairs Incapacity Pension as a source of income. In order to demonstrate your pension as a source of income for a home loan application, you'll need either a current bank statement showing your pension payment, or a current Department of Veterans' Affairs statement.
On Centrelink? You could still get a home loan
Other mortgage types for older borrowers
If you're a pensioner who already owns their own home you have some other finance options. Both reverse mortgages and line of credit loans allow you to borrow money against the equity in your home.
- Reverse mortgages. A reverse mortgage allows you to borrow funds using equity from your home as security for the loan. A reverse mortgage can either be paid as a lump sum, a regular stream of income, a line of credit or a combination of these. No income is needed to qualify and for this reason, the interest rate tends to be higher. You must repay the sum of borrowed money when you sell your home, pass away or move into aged care.
- Line of credit loans. A line of credit is a funding line that uses the equity in your home. It’s an approved amount that you can use a bit at a time or all at once. You loan is approved against a security and you can draw on this loan amount at any time. You only pay the interest on the amount that you use. For example, if you get a line of credit of $200,000 and only use $50,000, you only pay interest on the $50,000. These types of loans can be harder to get, and not all lenders offer them.
Looking to compare loan options?
In the tables below you can compare various finance options, from normal home loans to reverse mortgages and lines of credit. Please be aware that not all of the options presented in the table will be available for pensioners. If you're a pensioner and are looking for expert guidance, contact a mortgage broker for personal advice.
Compare reverse mortgages
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Compare line of credit loans
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To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best home loans for cashback, you can see how each home loan stacks up against other home loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type. We also take into consideration the amount of cashback offered when calculating the Score so you can tell if it's really worth it.
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Ask a question
my mother is looking to get a loan she is on aged pension she owns another property outright. so does she need a deposit for a home loan or can she use other property ???
Hi David,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Your mother could use the already owned home as security for the deposit in order to get a loan for another property purchase. However, it would be recommended that she seek professional financial advice before doing this so that she is aware of all the risks involved. She may also want to speak to a mortgage broker about what lending options may be right for her.
Regards
Jodie
line of credit loans,what are the % rates
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for reaching out.
You can compare a range of line of credit loans with competitive interest rates. If you think one of these loans sounds right for you, click on the ‘Go to Site’ button to be redirected to the lender’s website or to a mortgage broker page where you can discuss your borrowing needs.
Thanks,
Belinda
my wife is a disability pensioner & and i am her carer,we have been on the pension for over four years.
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for getting in touch.
I’ve sent you an email to follow up with this enquiry.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi, my brother was recently made redundant and is currently looking for work.
He has $170,000 in cash and is wanting to borrow $140,000 for a townhouse.
Can he use this large deposit to borrow the amount he needs even though he’s not working? he has a partner who is also on the disabled pension, who can contribute to the loan.
Hi Steven,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Your brother might be interested to read our page about applying for a home loan (or refinancing) while unemployed. Evidently, it can be difficult to qualify for a home loan while you are unemployed as the lender views you as a high-risk borrower and they will be uncertain about your propensity to repay the loan.
The large deposit will help, but your brother will also need to demonstrate that he has adequate savings, equity, assets, government benefits (assuming a joint application with his partner), and/or other income sources that will be used to service the loan. He may also need to take steps to show the lender that he is actively seeking work.
He should also get in touch with a mortgage broker to be able to help him understand his borrowing power and they will be able to draw upon a panel of lenders that are more likely to review his application. He may also want to consider approaching specialist or non-bank lenders to see more of his loan options.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi there, I rent through a realestate and I’m on a single parent pension but soon to be on the disability pension. I pay nearly $300 in rent every week, I find it hard saving money to get a loan to buy my own home. Every time I go to the shops I hear on the radio “are you sick of paying rent and want to own your own home? Well instead of paying rent you could be using that rent to pay off your own home etc etc ” I want to use my rent money to instead pay off a house. Is that possible without a deposit ???
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for getting in touch.
While it can be difficult to qualify for a home loan if you do not have a secondary income to supplement your pension benefit. You can read our guide about home loans for Centrelink recipientsto know your options.
I also encourage you to get in touch with a licensed mortgage brokerthat can help you understand your financial position and they can leverage their panel of networks to find a lender that’s more inclined to review your application.
Before applying for a home loan, you may also want to consider clearing any existing debt that you have and consider approaching specialist or non-bank lenders that may have more lenient eligibility criteria for pensioners.
A useful reference to low or no deposit home loans are also available for you as an option but keep in mind that most lenders will require at least a 5% deposit.
If you can’t come up with a deposit then you may want to consider a family pledge and family guarantee home loans to boost your borrowing capacity and to avoid paying lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI).
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Belinda