Income Support Programmes
Information on income support payments for working age people, such as Newstart Allowance, Parenting Payment Single and Partnered, Disability Support Pension, Youth Allowance (job seekers), Widow Allowance, Mature Age Allowance, Partner Allowance, Sickness Allowance and Mobility Allowance.
Newstart Allowance
Newstart Allowance—is an income support payment for people aged 21 and over. Customers must participate in activities designed to increase their chances of finding work. This allowance can be paid to temporarily incapacitated people who do not qualify for Sickness Allowance because they are under the statutory age limit for Sickness Allowance or because they do not have a job or study to return to.
Disability Support Pension
Disability Support Pension—is an income support payment for people who have a physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability, and a continuing inability to work for at least the next two years because of the impairment. People who have been assessed as permanently blind are automatically eligible for Disability Support Pension.
From 1 July 2006 people with a disability who are assessed as capable of working at least 15 hours a week will be assisted to enter the workforce. People who were on Disability Support Pension before 11 May 2006 are not affected by the new eligibility rules. Those who applied for Disability Support Pension between 11 May 2005 and 30 June 2006 have been assessed under the old rules but will be assessed against the new rules if reassessed. Most people receiving Disability Support Pension are assessed every two years.
Parenting Payment
Parenting Payment (partnered)—from 1 July 2006 is an income support payment to a partnered parent who is the principal carer of a child/ren under the age of six. It is only payable to one member of a couple. Parents on Parenting Payment (partnered) before 1 July 2006 will continue to receive this payment until their youngest child turns 16, as long as they remain eligible.
Parenting Payment (single)—from 1 July 2006 is an income support payment to a single parent who is the principal carer of a child or children under the age of eight. Parents on Parenting Payment (single) before 1 July 2006 will continue to receive this payment until their youngest child turns 16, as long as they remain eligible.
Pensioner Education Supplement
Pensioner Education Supplement—this is a fortnightly supplement of $62.40 intended to assist eligible pensioners with the costs associated with undertaking approved full-time study. From 1 July 2006 it will also be extended to certain Newstart recipients.
Youth Allowance (other)
Youth Allowance (other) is a means-tested income support payment available to eligible people aged between 16 and 21 years who are seeking or preparing for paid employment or are temporarily unable to work.
Sickness Allowance
Sickness Allowance is a means-tested income support payment for people who are temporarily incapacitated for work or study as a result of illness, are unable to work or study, and have a job or course of study to return to.
Mature Age Allowance
Mature Age Allowance provides income support to jobless people aged from 60 years to Age Pension age who have been receiving another income support payment for more than nine months and face difficulty gaining employment because of lack of recent workforce experience. From 20 September 2003 this payment has been closed to new claimants. People who would previously have been eligible for it can now apply for Newstart Allowance.
Partner Allowance
Partner Allowance provides income support to mature age people who are partners of income support recipients and face difficulty gaining employment because of lack of recent workforce experience. This payment was closed to new claimants on 20 September 2003. People who would previously have been eligible for it can now apply for Newstart Allowance.
Widow Allowance
Widow Allowance provides income support for older working age women who no longer have a partner and have no recent workforce experience.
Mobility Allowance
Mobility Allowance is a non–means tested income supplement to help with transport costs for people with a disability who are in employment, vocational training, a combination of work and training, voluntary work or job search and are unable to use public transport without substantial assistance.