Indexation increases for recipients of youth and student payments

About one million welfare recipients will benefit from an increase to their payments from 1 January 2017.

Minister for Social services, Christian Porter, said the increase reflected the one per cent rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12 months to June 2016.

“People receiving Austudy, Youth Allowance, Carer Allowance and younger people on the Disability Support Pension will receive the increase in their payments from January,” the Minister said.

Students and young jobseekers on Youth Allowance will receive an increase of between $2.40 and $5.70, depending on their personal circumstances.

Students on Austudy will receive an increase of between $4.30 and $5.70 a fortnight, including supplements. Recipients of Austudy and Youth Allowance students will benefit from increases to the parental income test free areas.

Single people aged less than 21 on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) without dependents will receive an increase of between $3.60 and $5.50 a fortnight, including supplements.

Recipients will also benefit from increases to the income and assets limit.

“These recipients along with those of Austudy and Youth Allowance will also benefit from an increase to their personal income limits,” the Minister said.

Carer Allowance will increase to $124.70 a fortnight. Mobility Allowance and the Double Orphan Pension will also increase. Additional child amounts (paid under some social security agreements) and permissible child earnings limits will also be adjusted from 1 January 2017.

Other payments and thresholds are indexed at other times of the year. The full details of new rates and thresholds can be found at www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/benefits-payments.