| Benefit |
Rate |
Frequency |
Availability |
Comment |
| Rent Assistance (RA) |
$110.20 single
$103.80 per couple
$73.47 sharer |
Fortnightly |
Payable to eligible income support recipients, or those receiving more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A, who pay rent above the applicable rent threshold.
The rent threshold is $98.00 a fortnight for singles and $159.60 a fortnight for couples. |
RA is an increase in the amount of pension, allowance or Family Tax Benefit. RA is reduced by the means test rules applying to the primary payment.
Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment not subject to the sharers rate. |
| Pharmaceutical Allowance (PhA) |
$6.00 single
$3.00 each member of a couple |
Fortnightly |
PhA is not paid on its own. It is paid as a component of applicable income support payments. |
PhA is added to the primary rate of payment. If, after applying the payment’s income and assets tests, a person is entitled to any amount of payment, they receive the full PhA amount. |
| Telephone Allowance |
$23.00 lower rate
$34.60 higher rate for Age Pension age recipients who are home internet subscribers
The amount is shared between members of a couple. |
Quarterly |
Paid to pensioners and certain allowees. |
Full amount if eligible on the ‘test day’. |
| Utilities Allowance |
$128.50
The amount is shared between members of a couple. |
Quarterly |
Paid to pensioners and certain allowees. |
Full amount if eligible on the ‘test-day’. |
| Mobility Allowance |
$79.30
$111.00 higher rate for Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment, Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance |
Fortnightly |
Assists with transport costs for people with disability who are unable to use public transport without substantial assistance. |
No means tests apply (but recipients need to qualify for a primary payment). |
| Remote Area Allowance |
$18.20 single
$15.60 each member of a couple
Plus $7.30 for each dependant
|
Fortnightly |
Must be receiving an income support payment and be physically present in a remote area. |
No means tests apply (but recipients need to qualify for a primary payment). |
| Carer Allowance |
$105.10 |
Fortnightly |
For carers of a person with a disability (child or adult). Eligibility determined by the level of disability and care required by the care receiver. |
No means test apply.
An additional $1,000 a year is paid on 1 July for each child (under 16 years) being cared for. |
| Child Disability Assistance Payment |
$1,000 |
Annually |
Per child under 16 years for whom a Carer Allowance is paid. |
Full amount if paid Carer Allowance (child) on 1 July. |
| Pensioner Education Supplement |
$62.40 or $31.20
The rate depends on study load and the person’s income support payment. |
Fortnightly |
Available to workforce-age income support recipients. |
No means tests apply. |
| Crisis Payment |
One week’s payment |
One-off |
Available to income support recipients in severe financial hardship. |
Must claim within seven days after the event that led to the crisis. |
| Education Entry Payment (EdEP) |
$208 |
Annually |
Generally, available to recipients of Pensioner Education Supplement. |
Only one EdEP payment per calendar year. EdEP is a taxable payment. |
| Work for the Dole Supplement |
$20.80 |
Fortnightly |
Available to Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance recipients participating in Work for the Dole. |
|
| Language, Literacy and Numeracy Supplement |
$20.80 |
Fortnightly |
Available to some income support recipients participating in Work for the Dole. |
|
| Pension Bonus Scheme |
Rate depends on length of deferral of Age Pension and rate of Age Pension.
Maximum amounts:
$34,344.30 single
$28,686.50 each member of a couple |
One-off |
Available to those who defer receipt of Age Pension and continue to work. |
Non-taxable |
| Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment |
Maximum amounts:
$34,344.30 single
$28,686.50 each member of a couple |
One-off |
Available to the surviving partner of a deceased Pension Bonus Scheme member who did not claim the bonus before their death. |
Non-taxable |
| Pensioner Concession Card |
Value varies depending on usage. |
|
Automatically issued to all social security pensioners. |
No means tests apply. Allows access to specific services at concessional rates. |
| Health Care Card |
Value varies depending on usage. |
|
Issued to people who receive certain social security benefits, low income earners and selected other groups (e.g. foster children) to assist with certain health costs. |
|
| Benefits available to self-funded retirees |
| Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) |
Value varies depending on usage. |
|
For self-funded retirees who have annual income less than $50,000 (single) and $80,000 (couples). |
|
| Telephone Allowance |
$23.00 lower rate
$34.60 higher rate for those who are home internet subscribers
The amount is shared between members of a couple. |
Quarterly |
|
Full amount if eligible on the ‘test day’. |
| Seniors Concession Allowance |
$128.50 each for CSHC holder |
Quarterly |
Paid to CSHC holders. |
|
