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Most Centrelink income-support payments follow the same logic: a maximum rate set by your situation, reduced by an income test and an assets test, with the lower of the two results being what you actually receive. Rates are indexed each 20 March and 20 September, so the figure that matters is always the current one — the calculator above uses the latest published rates.
JobSeeker Payment supports people looking for work or temporarily unable to work, and carries mutual-obligation requirements. Youth Allowance supports full-time students (usually 18–24), Australian Apprentices (16–24) and younger job seekers (16–21), and for those under 22 can be affected by a parental means test. Austudy supports older full-time students. Family Tax Benefit helps with the cost of raising children and is tested on family income rather than the individual.
Payments don't stop the moment you earn a dollar. There's an income-free area, after which your payment tapers by a set number of cents per dollar earned. For JobSeeker, for example, earnings above the free area reduce the payment on a sliding scale until it cuts out entirely. This taper is why part-time work almost always leaves you better off overall — you keep a portion of both the wage and the payment through the phase-out zone.
New claims can face waiting periods — an ordinary one-week wait, plus a Liquid Assets Waiting Period if you have savings above a set level, and an income maintenance period if you received leave or redundancy pay. The assets test sets hard cut-off limits that differ for homeowners and non-homeowners; cross them and you receive nothing regardless of income.
Do I have to report income even if I'm working casually? Yes — you report your (and your partner's) employment income each fortnight, and Centrelink adjusts the payment accordingly.
Does my partner's income affect my payment? For most income-support payments, yes. Couples are assessed on combined income and assets, with a separate partner-income taper.
Are these payments taxable? Many, including JobSeeker, are taxable income and should be declared at tax time, though you can ask Centrelink to withhold tax to avoid a bill.
This calculator uses current published rates from Australian government and regulator sources. The result is an estimate for general guidance — it does not constitute personal financial advice. For decisions about your circumstances, consult a registered financial adviser, tax agent, or other professional. See editorial standards for how DecisionLab sources and updates its calculator data.