how can you lose any of your pension if your assets are below the limit and same thing if your income diminishes ? you can only lose some of the pension if your assets increase, or the income goes above the limits using your own money to subsidise your lifestyle income simply reduces your assets and income if one was on a part pension the answer would be different, only that they would then be entitled to a higher pension amount so if one was on a part pension the reduction in the asset is worth $1.50 extra pension, for every thousand reduced, under the asset test