From 20 September 2026 Basic rates
JobSeeker Payment Rates
The basic rate for a single person with no children is $824.90 a fortnight. Your situation — single or partnered, children or not, your age and your work capacity — decides which rate applies, and the table below has every one of them.
Current rates
| Your situation | Basic rate (a fortnight) |
|---|---|
| Single, no children, 22 or over | $824.90 |
| Single, with children, 22 or over | $883.30 |
| Single, no children, 55 or over (after 9 months) | $883.30 |
| Single, no children, partial capacity to work 0 to 14 hours a week | $883.30 |
| Single principal carer with an exemption from mutual obligations (large family, foster carer, home or distance educator) | $1,068.20 |
| Partnered, with or without children (each) | $755.10 |
| Partnered — illness separated, respite care, or partner in prison (each) | $883.30 |
Rates are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year. Payments are made fortnightly in arrears.
Basic rate, then the things that change it
- The income test. There is an income free area; above it the payment tapers away. Part-time work generally still leaves you ahead, but by less than the wage.
- Rent Assistance. If you rent, RA is added on top — see the Rent Assistance calculator for what that comes to.
- Pharmaceutical Allowance and other supplements. Added to the basic rate where you qualify.
- Your partner’s income. If you are partnered, their income is part of the assessment — which is why the partnered rate is lower per person than the single rate.
A common misunderstanding: the rates here are the basic rate only. Plenty of websites quote them as "what you get", which overstates the payment for anyone with income and understates it for anyone renting.
What we do not quote, and why
The income free area — the amount you can earn before JobSeeker starts reducing — is indexed each 1 July and is published by Services Australia. We cannot read that source reliably, so rather than guess a number we have left it out. Everything on this page comes from the Social Security Guide, which we can verify.
Frequently asked questions
How much is JobSeeker?
From 20 September 2026 the basic rate for a single person aged 22 or over with no children is $824.90 a fortnight. A single person with children gets $883.30, and each member of a couple gets $755.10.
Is that the amount I will actually receive?
Not necessarily. These are the basic rates. The income test can reduce them, and supplementary payments — Rent Assistance, Pharmaceutical Allowance — can increase them. The payment you actually get is the basic rate after the income test, plus any supplements you qualify for.
Why does a single person with children get more?
The "with child" rate recognises the cost of supporting a child on a single income. It continues while the child is a dependent child — including a 16 to 19 year old who is still at secondary school full time, even if they have started receiving Youth Allowance themselves.
What is the rate for someone 55 or over?
A single person with no children who is 55 or over and has been on payment for nine months moves to $883.30 a fortnight — the same rate as a single person with children. It is one of the few age-based steps in the payment.
What is the large family rate?
A single principal carer who is exempt from mutual obligation requirements — because of caring for a large family, being a registered foster carer, or being a home or distance educator — gets $1,068.20 a fortnight. That is equal to the single Parenting Payment rate plus pension supplement. It is not available to partnered recipients.
How does the income test affect it?
JobSeeker is income tested, and there is an income free area before reductions start. Once you earn above it the payment tapers away — which is why part-time work usually leaves you better off overall, but by less than the wage itself.
When do rates change?
JobSeeker rates are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year, in line with the CPI. The figures on this page took effect on 20 September 2026.
Related
- Rent Assistance calculator — added on top of JobSeeker if you rent
- Age Pension rates
- All Centrelink payment rates
Rates from the Department of Social Services — Social Security Guide (1.342 (21 September 2026)), checked 12 October 2026. General information only.