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What the income test is
We use an income test to help us work out your payment. Your income can affect your payment.
If you get child support payments, we won’t count this as income.
We may also use a partner income test and a parental means test. We’ll base your rate on the test that results in the lowest payment rate.
What happens if you’re earning income while getting a payment
Job seekers getting Youth Allowance
If you get Youth Allowance as a job seeker you can earn money and still get your payment. We’ll start to reduce your payment if your income is more than $150 a fortnight. Your payment will reduce by 50 cents for each dollar of income you have between $150 and $250. If your income is over $250, your payment will reduce by 60 cents for each dollar of income over $250. The amount we reduce your payment by will depend on how much income you have in a fortnight.
| Your situation | Maximum income before your payment reduces to $0 |
|---|---|
| Single, no children, younger than 18 and live at your parent’s home | $832.00 |
| Single, no children, 18 or older and live at your parent’s home | $933.00 |
| Single or in a couple, no children and need to live away from your parent’s home | $1,243.34 |
| Member of a couple with children. | $1,332.50 |
| Single with children | $1,525.34 |
Single, the main carer of dependent children younger than 16, with an exemption for one of these:
| $1,877.17 Includes Pharmaceutical Allowance |
How we assess your partner’s income
If you have a partner, their income may affect how much income support you can get.
If you’re dependent and get Youth Allowance for job seekers we won’t assess your partner’s income. Once you’ve lived with your partner for 12 months we’ll consider you independent. Their income may then affect your payment. If you’re already independent, we’ll consider your partner’s income from when you start living together.
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.