Estimate your Australian JobSeeker or Youth Allowance payment. Calculate your fortnightly entitlement using the income test and assets test — March 2026 rates including Working Credits.
March 2026 ratesIncome + assets test
01 —INPUTS
Youth Allowance: 16-21 | JobSeeker: 22-66
Affects assets test threshold
Your gross fortnightly employment income
Any other fortnightly income (excluding deemed income from assets)
Savings, shares, managed funds — subject to deeming
Car, contents, other non-financial assets (not your home)
JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance use a two-test system to determine how much you receive. Services Australia calculates your entitlement under both the income test and the assets test. Unlike the Age Pension (which uses a gradual assets taper), the assets test for working-age payments is a hard cut-off — if your assets exceed the threshold, you receive nothing.
To be eligible for JobSeeker Payment, you must be aged 22 to Age Pension age (67), be an Australian resident, and meet mutual obligation requirements — which typically means actively looking for work, participating in a Workforce Australia program, or undertaking approved activities. Youth Allowance has similar requirements but applies to younger Australians (16–24 for students, 16–21 for job seekers).
Payment rates are indexed in March and September each year. The rates in this calculator reflect the March 2026 indexation. Your actual payment may also include supplementary amounts such as Energy Supplement, Rent Assistance, or Pharmaceutical Allowance depending on your circumstances.
Income test — two-band taper
The income test uses a two-band taper system that is more aggressive than the Age Pension's single 50c taper:
→Income free area: $150/fortnight — earn up to this amount with no reduction
→Band 1 ($150–$256/fn): Payment reduces by 50 cents for every dollar earned
→Band 2 (above $256/fn): Payment reduces by 60 cents for every dollar earned
Income includes employment income, self-employment income, investment income, and most other regular payments. For couples, each partner is assessed on their own income first, but if one partner earns above their cut-off point, the excess can affect the other partner's payment through the partner income test.
Assets test — hard cut-off
Unlike the Age Pension (where your payment gradually reduces as assets increase), the assets test for JobSeeker and Youth Allowance is a hard cut-off. If your total assessable assets exceed the threshold, you receive no payment at all.
Situation
Assets threshold
Single, homeowner
~$314,000
Single, non-homeowner
~$566,000
Couple, homeowner
~$470,000
Couple, non-homeowner
~$722,000
Assessable assets include bank accounts, shares, managed funds, superannuation (if you are over preservation age and it is accessible), vehicles, investment properties, and other personal assets. Your principal home is excluded from the assets test. Non-homeowners receive higher thresholds to account for their need to fund housing from their assets.
Working credits
→Earning below $48/fn: The difference accrues as a credit in your Working Credit balance, up to a maximum of $1,000
→When you earn more: Working Credits are used to offset your employment income, reducing the impact on your payment
→Employment income only: Working Credits apply only to wages and salary — not investment income or other non-employment sources
→Transition to Age Pension: Any remaining Working Credit balance can be converted to a Work Bonus income bank balance (up to the $11,800 cap)
JobSeeker Payment is the main Australian Government income support payment for people aged 22 to Age Pension age who are looking for work, temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury, or doing approved activities. As of March 2026, the maximum rate for a single person with no children is $762.70 per fortnight ($19,830 per year). The payment is means-tested — your entitlement depends on both your income and your assets, and Services Australia pays you based on whichever test produces the lower result.
What is Youth Allowance?
Youth Allowance is a payment for young Australians aged 16–24 who are studying full-time, undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship, or looking for work (16–21). The maximum rate varies depending on your circumstances — from $455.20 per fortnight if you are under 18 and living at home, up to $621.80 per fortnight if you are 18 or over and living away from home. Youth Allowance is also means-tested through both an income test and an assets test, and for dependent students, a parental income and assets test may also apply.
How does the income test work for JobSeeker and Youth Allowance?
The income test for JobSeeker and Youth Allowance uses a two-band taper system. You can earn up to $150 per fortnight without any reduction to your payment (the income free area). For income between $150 and $256 per fortnight, your payment reduces by 50 cents for every dollar earned. For income above $256 per fortnight, your payment reduces by 60 cents for every dollar earned. This means the first $106 above the free area is tapered at 50%, and everything beyond that at 60%.
How does the assets test work?
The assets test for JobSeeker and Youth Allowance is a hard cut-off — if your assets exceed the threshold, you receive no payment at all. There is no gradual taper like the Age Pension. For singles, the threshold is approximately $314,000 if you are a homeowner or $566,000 if you are a non-homeowner. For couples (combined), the threshold is approximately $470,000 for homeowners or $722,000 for non-homeowners. Your principal home is excluded from the assets test.
What is the difference between JobSeeker and Youth Allowance?
The main difference is age and activity. JobSeeker Payment is for people aged 22 to Age Pension age (67) who are looking for work or temporarily unable to work. Youth Allowance covers younger Australians aged 16–24 (or 16–21 for job seekers) who are studying full-time, doing an apprenticeship, or looking for work. Youth Allowance generally has lower maximum rates and may include parental income testing for dependent students. Both payments share similar income test rules (the $150 free area and 50c/60c taper bands) but have different base rates.
How are couples assessed for JobSeeker Payment?
For couples, Services Australia assesses your combined income and combined assets. Each partner's payment is calculated individually, but the partner's income affects your entitlement. The income free area remains $150 per fortnight per person, but any income your partner earns above their own free area can reduce your payment through the partner income test. Asset thresholds are combined — approximately $470,000 for couple homeowners or $722,000 for couple non-homeowners. If both partners receive income support, their payments are calculated separately but with combined means testing.
JobSeeker and Youth Allowance calculations use rates from 20 March 2026. Actual entitlements may differ based on mutual obligation requirements, relationship status, parental income testing (for Youth Allowance), or supplementary payments not captured here. Contact Services Australia for a formal assessment.