JobSeeker Payment 2025-26: Rates, Eligibility & Mutual Obligations

The JobSeeker Payment is Australia's primary income support payment for people aged 22 to Age Pension age who are looking for work, are sick or injured and temporarily unable to work, or are doing activities to prepare for employment. It replaced the former Newstart Allowance in March 2020.

Don't skip this part. The payment is designed as a safety net while you search for employment, not as a long-term income replacement. Recipients must actively demonstrate that they're looking for work by meeting mutual obligations, which include attending appointments with their employment services provider, applying for a minimum number of jobs per month, and undertaking approved activities such as training or volunteer work. The payment is means-tested based on both income and assets, and the rate depends on your personal circumstances.

The maximum fortnightly JobSeeker Payment rates for 2025-26 are approximately: single with no children — $762; single with dependent children — $816; single aged 55 or over (after nine months on payment) — $816; partnered — $694 each. These amounts include the Energy Supplement.

Additional payments may include Rent Assistance of up to $157 per fortnight (single, no children) if you pay rent above the threshold, and Pharmaceutical Allowance. The rates are indexed twice yearly in March and September. On an annualised basis, the maximum single rate of $762 per fortnight equates to approximately $19,812 per year — well below the poverty line for most Australian cities.

This has been a persistent policy debate, with welfare organisations arguing the rate is insufficient to cover basic living costs and governments of both parties maintaining it at similar levels.

You can earn some income from part-time or casual work while receiving JobSeeker. The income-free area allows you to earn up to $150 per fortnight with no reduction to your payment.

The practical side: For earnings between $150 and $256 per fortnight, your payment reduces by 50 cents per dollar. For earnings above $256, the reduction rate is 60 cents per dollar. Working Wage Credits allow you to accumulate unused income-free amounts (up to 48 fortnights worth) during periods of no or low earnings, which can then offset income during higher-earning periods.

Partner income is also tested — if your partner earns above a certain threshold, your payment may be reduced or cancelled. The income test encourages part-time work by ensuring you're always better off working than not, but the steep taper rates (50% and 60%) can create high effective marginal tax rates when combined with income tax.

To maintain your JobSeeker Payment, you must meet mutual obligations. These include: attending all appointments with your Workforce Australia employment services provider, applying for a minimum number of jobs per month (typically 15 to 20, depending on your circumstances and local job market), accepting suitable job offers, undertaking approved activities such as vocational training, accredited study, volunteer work, or part-time employment, and reporting your job search activities and income fortnightly.

If you don't meet your obligations without a reasonable excuse, your payment can be suspended or cancelled, and you may receive a demerit point. Accumulating demerit points results in financial penalties. Reasonable excuses for missing an obligation include illness (with medical evidence), family emergency, transport disruption, or attending a job interview.

If you disagree with a decision about your obligations or payment, you've the right to request a review.

What actually happens: Apply online through your myGov account linked to Centrelink. You will need your Tax File Number, bank account details, identification documents, details of your income and assets, and your employment history.

After submitting your claim, you will be connected with a Workforce Australia employment services provider who will help you develop a Job Plan outlining the activities you need to complete. Processing times are typically two to four weeks, though urgent circumstances may receive faster processing. While waiting for your claim to be processed, you can apply for an urgent payment or crisis payment if you're in severe financial hardship.

If you were recently made redundant, be aware that any redundancy pay or leave entitlements may result in a waiting period before your JobSeeker Payment starts — this is called the Income Maintenance Period and can extend your wait by several weeks depending on the payout amount. Use our JobSeeker Calculator to estimate your payment rate. Worth double-checking.