Youth Allowance · Student / Apprentice

Youth Allowance Calculator

Estimate one fortnight’s student or apprentice payment without adding tests that Services Australia compares, or adding Rent Assistance after means testing.

Current 2026 ratesIncome BankDependent + independent

Looking for work rather than studying or apprenticing? Use the JobSeeker / YA job seeker calculator.

01 —INPUTS

Meet the Youth Allowance study or apprenticeship and residence rules?

Students need an approved course and provider, at least 75% of a full-time study load or an approved concession, satisfactory progress and the residence rules. Apprentices need a registered full-time Australian Apprenticeship and the residence rules.

Your age

Claim pathway

Services Australia dependency assessment

Living away from parents does not by itself make you independent.

Where you live

Your ordinary income /fortnight

Gross work and other assessable income; financial assets are deemed separately below. Enter 0 if none.

Current Income Bank balance

Up to $13,500; credits offset ordinary income above $539/fn.

A parent receives an income-support payment above $0

The parental income test generally does not apply in this case, although maintenance income can still apply.

Parents’ combined adjusted taxable income

Usually 2024–25 ATI for 2026 claims; current-year income may apply after a significant change.

Your weighted family-pool share (%)

Use 100% if no other dependant shares the reduction; equal-rate two-recipient example is 50%.

Maintenance income is received for me

Maintenance income has child-specific free areas and caps, so this case is directed to formal assessment.

Your financial assets

Savings, shares and managed funds; deeming adds income from these assets. Enter 0 if none.

Rent paid (per fortnight, optional)

If you pay rent, Centrelink may add Rent Assistance to your payment. Leave blank if you don't rent or own your home.

Include Energy Supplement

The current Services Australia payment guide lists Energy Supplement for Youth Allowance recipients living in Australia. It is shown separately from the taxable basic rate.

02 —RESULTS

Awaiting input

Complete the eligibility questions and every required income, family and assets field — enter 0 where applicable

Edit inputs ↑

Calculation boundary

A number is shown only when the inputs support one

Calculated directly

Standard and confirmed long-term rates, Income Bank, deeming, parental income, weighted family-pool share, partner income, independent assets and Rent Assistance.

Directed to formal assessment

Maintenance income, partner pension half-income rules, unconfirmed under-18 or away-from-home pathways, residence, course approval, study load and satisfactory progress.

Maximum rates

Basic rate and Energy Supplement stay separate

Situation	Basic rate + Energy Supplement
Single, under 18, at home	$418.90 + $3.90 ES
Single, 18+, at home	$482.40 + $4.60 ES
Single, away from home	$677.20 + $7.00 ES
Single, with children	$854.20 + $9.20 ES
Partnered, no children	$677.20 + $7.00 ES
Partnered, with children	$733.20 + $7.70 ES

Rates effective 1 January 2026. Values are fortnightly maximums before means tests. Energy Supplement is non-taxable and shown separately from the taxable Youth Allowance basic rate.

Long-term prior support

A higher rate exists, but age alone does not unlock it

Confirmed situation	Basic rate + Energy Supplement
Single, at home	$567.50 + $5.70 ES
Single, away from home	$799.70 + $8.60 ES
Partnered, no children	$733.20 + $7.70 ES

Rates effective 1 January 2026. Normally requires age 22+, no dependent child, qualifying prior income support for 26 of the last 39 weeks, and starting the course or apprenticeship after age 22.

Which reduction applies?

Dependent and independent claims follow different paths

Dependent

Compare the personal-income reduction with the combined parental income and maintenance reduction. Apply the larger reduction—not both. A family pool can share the parental reduction using maximum-rate weights.

Independent

Apply the personal income test and, for a partner without income support, the partner income test. The independent assets test is a hard cut-off. A pension-receiving partner uses a different half-income method.

Worked examples

Dependent, two tests

The larger reduction wins

Age 19 at home, ordinary income $700/fn and parental ATI $79,722. Personal reduction is $85.90/fn; parental reduction is $100.00/fn. Only $100.00 applies, leaving $387.00/fn.

Independent, Income Bank

Credits absorb the irregular income

Age 23 away from home, $700/fn income and 161 Income Bank credits. The credits absorb all income over $539, so the income reduction is $0.00 and the estimate remains $684.20/fn.

Eligibility checkpoints

→Age and pathway — 18–24 full-time student; 16–24 full-time Australian Apprentice; limited 16–17 student pathways. An existing recipient can continue after 25.

→Independence — Automatic at 22. Under 22, relationship, dependent-child, workforce and special-circumstance pathways can apply.

→Away-from-home rate — A dependent claimant needs an approved reason such as travel time over 90 minutes, compulsory residence or unsuitable home conditions.

→Course and residence — An approved course or registered full-time apprenticeship, residence rules, study load and satisfactory progress still need formal confirmation.

→Workforce earnings reference — The 75% National Training Wage reference currently used by this page is $32,770; regional and other independence pathways have additional conditions.

FAQ

Who can get Youth Allowance as a student or Australian Apprentice?

The standard pathways cover full-time students aged 18–24, full-time Australian Apprentices aged 16–24, and some students aged 16–17 who are independent, need to live away, or completed Year 12 or equivalent. Residence, approved-course, study-load and satisfactory-progress rules also apply.

Can Youth Allowance continue after age 25?

Yes. A person already receiving Youth Allowance may stay on it after turning 25 while completing the same qualifying course or apprenticeship. A new student claim at 25 or older will normally be assessed for Austudy instead.

How much is Youth Allowance for students in 2026?

Maximum basic rates from 1 January 2026 range from $418.90/fortnight for a single person under 18 at home to $854.20/fortnight for a single person with children. Energy Supplement is shown separately in this calculator.

Are the personal and parental income reductions added together?

No. For a dependent student or apprentice, Services Australia compares the personal-income reduction with the parental-means reduction and applies the larger reduction—the test that produces the lower payment. Adding both reductions understates the entitlement.

How does the parental income family pool work?

The current parental income free area is $66,722. Income above it creates a 20c-per-dollar family reduction. When several dependants share that reduction, Services Australia weights each share using the dependant’s maximum payment rate; it is not automatically divided equally.

What is the Student Income Bank?

When your ordinary income is below $539/fortnight, the unused part becomes Income Bank credits, up to $13,500. Credits later offset ordinary income above the free area before the 50c and 60c tapers apply. Partner income cannot use your Income Bank.

Does Youth Allowance have an assets test?

The personal assets test applies when you are independent. It does not apply to a dependent Youth Allowance student in the same way. Financial assets can still create deemed income under the personal income test.

Can a student get Rent Assistance with Youth Allowance?

Potentially. A person living away from parents generally needs to be independent or approved for the away-from-home rate. A person living with parents needs a qualifying relationship or dependent-child pathway. Rent Assistance enters the maximum tested amount before income reductions, so it is not simply added after means testing.

Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: 18 July 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27

Estimates standard or user-confirmed long-term Youth Allowance rates, Income Bank, deeming, the calculable parental income share, partner income, independent assets and eligible Rent Assistance. It does not determine residence, approved study, study load, satisfactory progress, Family Actual Means Test, maintenance-income calculations, scholarship exemptions, waiting periods, tax, or formal family-pool weights.