JobSeeker & Youth Allowance Calculator
Estimate the fortnightly payment and possible Liquid Assets Waiting Period after checking the basic residence and work conditions.
Full-time student or Australian Apprentice? Use the Youth Allowance student calculator; it applies the student income test and Income Bank instead.
Youth Allowance job seeker is normally 16–21; JobSeeker is 22 until Age Pension age.
Generally needs to be living in Australia as a resident; a waiting period or limited exemptions may apply.
A temporary illness or injury claim normally needs a medical certificate. Mutual obligation requirements are assessed separately.
Principal-carer status changes the income taper; an approved exemption can also change the maximum rate.
Being 55 or older alone does not qualify for the higher rate.
Your principal home is excluded, but homeowner status changes the assets limit.
Enter 0 if you have none.
Enter 0 if you have none.
Offsets employment income dollar-for-dollar this fortnight; maximum 1,000.00 for this payment stream.
Enter 0 if you have none. Include combined savings, shares and other deemed assets.
Enter 0 if you have none. Include combined vehicles, contents and other assets; exclude your home.
Enter 0 if none. Include combined cash and funds readily available, incl. money owed by an employer — already counted in financial assets above, not added twice.
If you pay rent, Centrelink may add Rent Assistance to your payment. Leave blank if you don't rent or own your home.
Usually paid automatically to eligible income-support recipients living in Australia.
Confirm residence and work eligibility, then enter every required amount — use 0 where none
The calculator stops where a simple estimate becomes misleading
Calculated directly
Independent Youth Allowance job seekers and ordinary JobSeeker cases, including standard or principal-carer income tapers, Working Credits, partner income where the partner receives no payment, deeming, assets, Rent Assistance and the Liquid Assets Waiting Period.
Directed to formal assessment
Dependent Youth Allowance needs parental and maintenance tests with family-pool allocation. A partner receiving a pension triggers a half-combined-income method and different test for the pension partner.
JobSeeker rates from 20 March 2026
| Situation | Maximum basic rate |
|---|---|
| Single, no dependent children | $808.70/fn |
| Single, with dependent children | $866.00/fn |
| Single, 55+ after 9 continuous months on income support | $866.00/fn |
| Single, partial capacity 0–14 hours/week | $866.00/fn |
| Single, exempt principal carer | $1,047.30/fn |
| Partnered each eligible person | $740.30/fn |
Rates effective 20 March 2026. Amounts shown are maximum basic rates before means testing.
The 55+ amount is conditional on 9 continuous months of income support. The calculator includes Energy Supplement by default but excludes Pharmaceutical Allowance, which applies only to certain categories.
Three income-test paths, not one universal taper
Standard JobSeeker
$150 free area; 50c per $1 from $150 to $256; 60c per $1 above $256.
YA job seeker
$150 free area; 50c per $1 from $150 to $250; 60c per $1 above $250.
Single principal carer
$150 free area; then one continuous 40c-per-$1 reduction.
The partner reduction is additional
If a partner receives no income-support payment, income above their free area reduces your payment by 60c per dollar. This is added to your personal income reduction; the calculation does not simply choose whichever reduction is larger.
Credits reduce employment income before the taper
Each Working Credit offsets $1 of employment income. JobSeeker can hold up to $1,000 and Youth Allowance job seekers up to $3,500. Credits accrue when total ordinary income is below $48 a fortnight, but the calculator asks for the current balance because Services Australia tracks accrual automatically.
1 July 2026 hard asset limits
| Situation | Homeowner | Non-homeowner |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $333,000 | $600,000 |
| Couple combined | $499,000 | $766,000 |
Unlike the Age Pension assets taper, the allowance test is a hard cut-off. The principal home is excluded, but the value of other combined assessable assets counts.
| Situation | Maximum personal income |
|---|---|
| Single, no children | $1,530.17/fn |
| Single, with dependent children — not principal carer | $1,626.84/fn |
| Single, 55+ after 9 months or partial capacity | $1,638.50/fn |
| Single principal carer | $2,356.25/fn |
| Single exempt principal carer | $2,815.75/fn |
| Partnered — own-income test | $1,414.67/fn |
Rates effective 1 July 2026 guide. Amounts shown are maximum basic rates before means testing.
Services Australia describes these as indicative because supplements such as Rent Assistance and Pharmaceutical Allowance can move the exact zero-payment point.
Examples generated by the same calculation engine
Single, $500 employment income
$808.70 basic rate plus $8.80 Energy Supplement; personal income is tested at the standard JobSeeker taper.
$618.10 /fortnight
$199.40 total income reduction
Single principal carer, $500 income
The principal-carer income reduction is 40c for each dollar above $150, rather than the standard two-band taper.
$735.50 /fortnight
$140.00 total income reduction
Couple: $500 own + $1,615 partner income
The $199.40 personal reduction and $120 partner reduction both apply to the partnered maximum amount.
$428.80 /fortnight
$319.40 total income reduction
A positive rate does not guarantee an immediate first payment
What are the JobSeeker rates from 20 March 2026?
Does everyone aged 55 or older get the higher JobSeeker rate?
How does the principal-carer income test differ?
Does Youth Allowance job seeker use the same $256 income band?
How does partner income reduce JobSeeker?
Why does a dependent Youth Allowance result require formal assessment?
How do Working Credits affect this estimate?
How is Rent Assistance included?
Related guides
Tax Accuracy & Sources
This calculator estimates ordinary JobSeeker or independent Youth Allowance job-seeker payment using current 2026 rates and thresholds after the user confirms the basic residence and work conditions. It estimates the Liquid Assets Waiting Period but does not determine residence exemptions, mutual obligations, other waiting periods, compensation, tax, Pharmaceutical Allowance, maintenance income or formal qualification. Dependent YA and partner-pension cases are intentionally not assigned a false precise amount.