Centrelink Payment Changes
One page for every Centrelink and family-payment indexation date — what changed on 1 July and 20 March 2026, and what's due on 20 September.
The indexation calendar
Centrelink doesn't index every payment on the same day. Four dates cover almost everything, each governed by the Social Security Act 1991's CPI indexation table (and the Family Assistance Act for FTB and CCS):
| Date | What it changes | Main payments affected |
|---|---|---|
| 20 March & 20 September | Maximum pension and allowance payment rates, income free areas, Rent Assistance | Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, Rent Assistance |
| 1 July | Assets value limits, deeming thresholds, Family Tax Benefit rates, Child Care Subsidy income thresholds, Paid Parental Leave rate & length | Age Pension & allowance assets tests, deeming, Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Subsidy, Paid Parental Leave |
| 1 January | Carer Allowance flat rate, Youth Allowance & Austudy base rates, Student Income Bank | Carer Allowance, Youth Allowance, Austudy |
Carer Allowance is currently $162.60 a fortnight per care receiver (combined family income under $250,000), and Youth Allowance and Austudy base rates were last indexed 1 January 2026 — see the Youth Allowance Rates guide for the full table.
What changed on 1 July 2026
Assets and deeming thresholds, plus Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Subsidy and Paid Parental Leave, all move on 1 July. Here's what's current since the 1 July 2026 indexation.
Assets & deeming thresholds
| 1 July 2026 setting | Current value |
|---|---|
| Deeming — single lower-rate threshold | $66,800 |
| Deeming — pension couple lower-rate threshold (combined) | $110,600 |
| Deeming — lower / upper rate | 1.25% / 3.25% |
| Assets — single homeowner full-rate threshold | $333,000 |
| Assets — single homeowner cut-off | $733,500 |
| Assets — couple homeowner full-rate threshold (combined) | $499,000 |
| Assets — couple homeowner cut-off (combined) | $1,102,500 |
Family Tax Benefit — 2025-26 vs 2026-27
2025-26
Superseded 30 June 2026
- Part A max rate — child 0-12
- $5,927.60/yr
- Part A max rate — child 13-19
- $7,712.45/yr
- Part B max rate — youngest under 5
- $5,040.65/yr
2026-27
Current from 1 July 2026
- Part A max rate — child 0-12
- $6,139.30/yr
- Part A max rate — child 13-19
- $7,989.85/yr
- Part B max rate — youngest under 5
- $5,223.15/yr
Child Care Subsidy — from 6 July 2026
| CCS setting | Current value |
|---|---|
| Standard rate — income where the taper begins | $88,520 |
| Standard rate — cut-off | $538,520 |
| Standard rate — maximum | 90% |
| Higher rate (3+ children) — full 95% up to | $146,437 |
| Higher rate — income limit (subsidy stops) | $370,727 |
Paid Parental Leave — 2025-26 vs 2026-27
2025-26
Superseded 30 June 2026
- Weekly rate
- $948.10
- Maximum weeks
- 24 weeks
- Partner reserved days
- 15 days
2026-27
Current from 1 July 2026
- Weekly rate
- $1,004.70
- Maximum weeks
- 26 weeks
- Partner reserved days
- 20 days
What changed on 20 March 2026
Payment rates and the allowance partner income free area were indexed on 20 March 2026 — this is the current fortnightly rate for each payment until the next review on 20 September 2026.
| Payment — 20 March 2026 rate | Per fortnight |
|---|---|
| Age Pension — single (maximum) | $1,200.90 |
| Age Pension — couple, each (maximum) | $905.20 |
| Age Pension — single income free area | $226 |
| JobSeeker — single, no children | $808.70 |
| JobSeeker — single, with children | $866.00 |
| JobSeeker — single, aged 55+ | $866.00 |
| JobSeeker — partnered, each | $740.30 |
| Parenting Payment Single (PPS) — maximum | $1,066.30 |
| Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP) — base | $740.30 |
| Allowance partner income free area | $1,415 |
What's next: 20 September 2026
The next scheduled indexation is 20 September 2026. Pension rates (Age Pension, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension) are indexed to the higher of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI), then benchmarked against a share of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE). Allowance payments (JobSeeker, the Youth Allowance job-seeker rate) are indexed to CPI movement only.
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income limit (currently $101,105 for a single person) is also reviewed on 20 September each year.
In the last two cycles, DSS published the confirmed rates list two to three weeks ahead of the effective date — the 1 July 2026 list on 9 June 2026, and the 20 March 2026 list on 3 March 2026. The September 2026 figures aren't published yet, so this page doesn't estimate them — we'll update it with the confirmed rates once DSS releases them, alongside the Age Pension Rates & Thresholds and Youth Allowance Rates guides.