3.1 Recipients with Earnings from Employment
In June 2008, 71 853 or 9.8 per cent of DSP recipients declared income from employment. This is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from June 2007. Of DSP earners, 20.2 per cent report earnings of less than $100 per fortnight and 20.1 per cent report earnings of between $500 to less than $1000 per fortnight.
Under the current income test, a single DSP recipient can earn up to $138 per fortnight without their payment being reduced. A couple can have a combined income of up to $236 per fortnight before the payment rate is affected. The income free area is indexed each year with the next increase taking effect in September 2009.
Chart 3.1 DSP Recipients with Earnings Range from Employment at June 2008 
Table 3.1 DSP Recipients Earnings Range from Employment at June 2008
| Fortnightly Earnings |
Total |
Earned only % |
Total % |
| No Earnings |
660 514 |
N/A |
90.2 |
| Less than $100 |
14 498 |
20.2 |
2.0 |
| $100 to < $200 |
15 912 |
22.1 |
2.2 |
| $200 to < $300 |
9760 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
| $300 to < $400 |
6280 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
| $400 to < $500 |
4930 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
| $500 to < $1000 |
14 472 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
| $1000 to < $1500 |
4490 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
| Over $1500 |
1511 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
| Total |
732 367 |
9.8 |
100 |
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3.2 Recipients by Duration on Income Support and Gender
Note: Duration on income support includes the period of time a recipient has been on DSP together with the period of time the recipient may have spent on any other income support payment/s prior to being granted DSP. This differs to the methodology used for reports pre 2004. Duration data contained in the 2004 version of this report counted the time spent on any pension rather than the time spent on any income support payment. The distribution of DSP recipients by duration in income support is evenly spilt across less than 1 year to the less than 10 year periods. There is a significant increase of long term income support recipients with duration of over 10 years.
Chart 3.2 DSP Recipients by Duration on Payment and Gender at June 2008 
Table 3.2: DSP Customers by Duration on Payment and Gender at June 2008
| Duration |
Males |
% |
Females |
% |
Total |
% |
| < 1 year |
15 656 |
3.8 |
12 198 |
3.8 |
27 854 |
3.8 |
| 1 to < 2 Years |
18 183 |
4.4 |
13 653 |
4.3 |
31 836 |
4.3 |
| 2 to < 3 Years |
19 458 |
4.7 |
14 057 |
4.4 |
33 515 |
4.6 |
| 3 to < 4 Years |
20 262 |
4.9 |
15 076 |
4.7 |
35 338 |
4.8 |
| 4 to < 5 Years |
21 017 |
5.1 |
15 874 |
5.0 |
36 891 |
5.0 |
| 5 to < 6 Years |
21 671 |
5.2 |
15 124 |
4.7 |
36 795 |
5.0 |
| 6 to < 7 Years |
22 287 |
5.4 |
16 013 |
5.0 |
38 300 |
5.2 |
| 7 to < 8 Years |
22 179 |
5.4 |
15 612 |
4.9 |
37 791 |
5.2 |
| 8 to < 9 Years |
19 715 |
4.8 |
14 478 |
4.5 |
34 193 |
4.7 |
| 9 to < 10 Years |
18 734 |
4.5 |
14 342 |
4.5 |
33 076 |
4.5 |
| 10 to < 15 Years |
106 172 |
25.7 |
90 484 |
28.4 |
196 656 |
26.9 |
| 15 to < 20 years |
63 398 |
15.3 |
43 433 |
13.6 |
106 831 |
14.6 |
| 20+ years |
44 752 |
10.8 |
38 539 |
12.1 |
83 291 |
11.4 |
| Total |
413 484 |
100 |
318 883 |
100 |
732 367 |
100 |
Footnote: Duration is based on Income Support Duration.
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3.3 Recipients by Duration on Income Support and Gender by those aged less than 50 and those aged 50 and over
Note: Duration on income support includes the period of time a recipient has been on DSP together with the period of time the recipient may have spent on any other income support payment/s prior to being granted DSP. This differs to the methodology used for reports pre 2004. Duration data contained in the 2004 version of this report counted the time spent on any pension rather than the time spent on any income support payment. DSP recipients aged 50 years or over make up 55.4 per cent of the DSP population, these recipients also tend to have been on an income support payment for longer periods than recipients aged less than 50 years.
Chart 3.3 DSP Recipients by Gender, Duration by Age split < 50 years and > 50 years at June 2008. 
Table 3.3 DSP Recipients by Gender, Duration by Age Split < 50 years and > 50 years at June 2008.
| |
<50 yrs |
50+ yrs |
| Duration |
Male |
Female |
Total |
% of total <50 yrs |
Male |
Female |
Total |
% of total 50+ yrs |
| < 1 year |
6902 |
4931 |
11 833 |
3.7 |
8754 |
7267 |
16 021 |
3.9 |
| 1 to < 2 Years |
8519 |
5681 |
14 200 |
4.4 |
9664 |
7972 |
17 636 |
4.3 |
| 2 to < 3 Years |
9559 |
6123 |
15 682 |
4.9 |
9899 |
7934 |
17 833 |
4.3 |
| 3 to < 4 Years |
9870 |
6402 |
16 272 |
5.1 |
10 392 |
8674 |
19 066 |
4.6 |
| 4 to < 5 Years |
10 286 |
6787 |
17 073 |
5.3 |
10 731 |
9087 |
19 818 |
4.8 |
| 5 to < 6 Years |
10 064 |
6676 |
16 740 |
5.2 |
11 607 |
8448 |
20 055 |
4.9 |
| 6 to < 7 Years |
10 326 |
6945 |
17 271 |
5.4 |
11 961 |
9068 |
21 029 |
5.1 |
| 7 to < 8 Years |
10 528 |
6996 |
17 524 |
5.4 |
11 651 |
8616 |
20 267 |
4.9 |
| 8 to < 9 Years |
9568 |
6492 |
16 060 |
5.0 |
10 147 |
7986 |
18 133 |
4.4 |
| 9 to < 10 Years |
8954 |
6441 |
15 395 |
4.8 |
9780 |
7901 |
17 681 |
4.3 |
| 10 to < 15 Years |
48 301 |
39 988 |
88 289 |
27.4 |
57 871 |
50 496 |
108 367 |
26.4 |
| 15 to < 20 years |
25 704 |
18 285 |
43 989 |
13.7 |
37 694 |
25 148 |
62 842 |
15.3 |
| > 20 years |
16 441 |
14 901 |
31 342 |
9.7 |
28 311 |
23 638 |
51 949 |
12.6 |
| Total |
185 022 |
136 648 |
321 670 |
100 |
228 462 |
182 235 |
410 697 |
100 |