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How your personal income affects your payment
We’ll check your personal income when you claim and each fortnight when you report.
Personal income is your gross income. This is the income you get before any deductions, like tax. It doesn’t include child support payments.
We’ll start to reduce your payment if your income is over $509 a fortnight.
Your Income Bank helps you keep more of your payment. You’ll get credits if your income is less than $509 a fortnight. Then you can use the credits in the fortnights when your income is higher.
This table shows how your income affects your payment. The amounts are before tax.
You can also use the Payment Finder to estimate your payment. What you could get depends on how much you earn each fortnight.
| Your situation | Amount your payment reduces by if you earn between $509-$610 per fortnight | Amount your payment reduces by if you earn more than $610 per fortnight | Maximum income before your payment reduces to $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single or in a couple, no children, | 50 cents for each dollar over $509 | $50.50 plus 60 cents for each dollar over $610 | $1,602.50 |
| Member of a couple with children | 50 cents for each dollar over $509 | $50.50 plus 60 cents for each dollar over $610 | $1,691.67 |
| Single with children | 50 cents for each dollar over $509 | $50.50 plus 60 cents for each dollar over $610 | $1,884.50 |
If you’ve been on another payment
The amount of income you can earn may be higher if both of these apply:
- you’ve been getting an income support payment that isn’t a student payment for at least 26 of the last 39 weeks
- you don’t have a dependent child.
You must also have started either of the following after turning 22:
- a course with a duration of at least 12 months
- an Australian Apprentice.
This table shows how your income before tax affects your payment.
| Your situation | Amount your payment reduces by if you earn between $509-$610 per fortnight | Amount your payment reduces by if you earn more than $610 per fortnight | Maximum income before your payment reduces to $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, no children | 50 cents for each dollar over $509 | $50.50 plus 60 cents for each dollar over $610 | $1,797.84 |
| Member of a couple with no children | 50 cents for each dollar over $509 | $50.50 plus 60 cents for each dollar over $610 | $1,691.67 |
If your payment reduces to $0
If your payment reduces to $0 for 12 weeks in a row due to your income, it will be cancelled. If your income reduces after the 12 weeks, you’ll have to reapply.
How your partner’s income affects your payment
If you have a partner, their income may affect how much you get.
There’s a maximum amount your partner can earn before we start to reduce your payment. This amount will depend on your circumstances. We reduce your payment by 60 cents for each dollar your partner earns over this amount.