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5.2.1.40 Additional benefit for child, mother's & guardian's allowance & RA - November 1984 to March 2018

Summary

This topic contains 3 rates tables:

Table Number Explanation
1 Additional benefit for child - November 1984 to January 1993
2 Guardian allowance, mother's & guardian's allowance - November 1984 to January 1993
3 RA - November 1984 to March 2018

Table 1: Additional benefit for child - November 1984 to January 1993

This table shows the rates in dollars per week.

Date Rate ($)
01/11/1984 14.00
01/05/1985 14.00
01/11/1985 16.00
  Child under 16 Student over 16 receiving education allowance Note A
01/05/1986 16.00 14.00
01/11/1986 17.00 14.00
15/12/1986 17.00 14.00
01/01/1987 17.00 14.00
13/06/1987 17.00 14.00
Note B Child 0 to 12 Child 13 to 15 Student 16 and over
13/12/1987 22.00 28.00 17.00
13/06/1988 22.00 28.00 17.00
13/12/1988 24.00 31.00 17.00
03/07/1989 24.00 34.10 17.00
01/01/1990 Note C 24.15 35.25 17.00
01/01/1991 26.50 38.65 17.00
01/01/1992 27.40 39.95 17.00
02/04/1992 30.40 42.95 17.00
01/01/1993 Replaced by additional family payment (AFP) Note D

Notes for Table 1

Note Explanation
A From 1 January 1986 additional benefit was $2.00 less for students over 16 years of age receiving Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme or Secondary Assistance Scheme payments. From 1 January 1987 Commonwealth education payments became known as AUSTUDY.
B From 13 December 1987, 3 distinct rates of additional benefit were payable for (1) child under 13; (2) child 13 to 15 years; and (3) non-prescribed dependent student 16 to 24 years.
C From 1 January 1990 additional benefit for children under 16 years and mother's or guardian's (1.1.G.80) allowance became subject to annual indexation (1.1.I.100).
D From 1 January 1993 additional pension and benefit for dependent children were amalgamated with family allowance supplement (FAS) to form AFP.

Policy reference: SS Guide 5.2.4.30 Family allowance, family allowance supplement & additional family payment rates - December 1987 to June 2000

Table 2: Guardian allowance, mother's & guardian's (1.1.G.80) allowance - November 1984 to January 1993

Mother's Allowance was introduced in 1963 for Widow Pensioners with a dependent child. On 1 October 1965, Guardian's Allowance was introduced for non-partnered Age and Invalid Pensioners with a dependent child. The payment was known as Mother's/Guardian's Allowance until 1991 when it was renamed Guardian Allowance. It became payable to beneficiaries on 1 November 1984.

This table shows the rates in dollars per week.

Date Rate ($) Comment
01/11/1984 10.00  
01/05/1985 10.00  
01/11/1985 10.00  
01/05/1986 12.00  
01/11/1986 12.00  
15/12/1986 12.00  
01/01/1987 12.00  
13/06/1987 12.00  
13/12/1987 12.00  
13/06/1988 12.00  
13/12/1988 12.00  
13/06/1990 12.00  
01/01/1990 12.90 Note E
01/01/1991 13.90  
01/01/1992 14.35  
01/01/1993 14.50  
01/01/1993 14.50 Note F

Notes for Table 2

Note Explanation
E From 1 January 1990 additional benefit for children under 16 years and Mother's or Guardian's Allowance became subject to annual indexation (1.1.I.100).
F From 1 January 1993 Guardian Allowance was paid as part of AFP, later family allowance.

Policy reference: SS Guide 5.2.4.30 Family allowance, family allowance supplement & additional family payment rates - December 1987 to June 2000

Table 3: RA - November 1984 to March 2018

This table shows the rates in dollars per week from 1 November 1984 to 19 March 1997.

From 20 March 1997 this table shows the rates in dollars per fortnight (pf).

Date Rate ($) Comment
01/11/1984 15.00  
01/05/1985 15.00  
01/11/1985 15.00  
01/05/1986 10.00 or 15.00 Note G
01/11/1986 10.00 or 15.00 Note G
15/12/1986 10.00 or 15.00 Note G
01/01/1987 10.00 or 15.00 Note G
13/06/1987 10.00 or 15.00 Note G, Note H
13/12/1987 10.00 or 15.00 Note I, Note J
13/06/1988 10.00 or 15.00  
13/12/1989 20.00 or 25.00  
  0 children 1 to 2 children 3 or more children Note K
13/06/1990 25.00 30.00 35.00  
20/09/1990 30.00 35.00 40.00  
20/03/1991 31.00 36.20 41.35 Note L
20/03/1992 31.45 36.75 41.95 Note M
20/09/1992 31.50 36.80 42.00 Note N
20/03/1993 31.60 36.90 42.10 Note O
20/09/1993 32.00 37.40 42.60 Note O
20/03/1994 32.20 37.60 42.90  
20/09/1994 34.60 38.00 43.40  
20/03/1995 35.10 38.50 44.00  
20/09/1995 36.20 39.70 45.30  
20/03/1996 36.90 43.00 48.70  
20/09/1996 37.30 43.50 49.20  
From 20 March 1997 this table shows the maximum rates in dollars pf.
20/03/1997 74.80 87.40 98.80  
20/09/1997 74.80 87.40 98.80  
20/03/1998 74.80 87.40 98.80  
20/09/1998 75.20 88.00 99.40  
20/03/1999 75.80 88.60 100.00  
20/09/1999 76.00 88.80 100.40  
20/03/2000 77.20 90.20 102.00  
01/07/2000 85.00 99.26 112.14 Note P, Note Q
  1 to 2 children 3 or more children  
20/09/2000 100.94 114.10  
20/03/2001 103.04 116.48  
20/09/2001 105.00 118.72  
20/03/2002 106.26 120.12  
20/09/2002 107.94 122.08  
20/03/2003 109.48 123.76  
20/09/2003 110.88 125.30  
20/03/2004 112.14 126.70  
20/09/2004 113.68 128.52  
20/03/2005 115.08 130.06  
20/09/2005 116.62 131.74  
20/03/2006 118.30 133.70  
20/09/2006 121.24 137.06  
20/03/2007 122.22 138.18  
20/09/2007 123.76 140.00  
20/03/2008 125.86 142.38  
20/09/2008 129.36 146.30  
20/03/2009 130.48 147.56  
20/09/2009 131.32 148.40  
20/03/2010 133.28 150.64  
20/09/2010 135.24 152.88  
20/03/2011 136.78 154.56  
20/09/2011 140.14 158.48  
20/03/2012 140.98 159.46  
20/09/2012 141.82 160.44  
20/03/2013 144.06 162.96  
20/09/2013 145.18 164.22  
20/03/2014 147.98 167.30  
20/09/2014 149.52 168.98  
20/03/2015 150.50 170.10  
20/09/2015 151.76 171.50  
20/03/2016 153.02 172.90  
20/09/2016 153.30 173.18  
20/03/2017 155.26 175.42  
20/09/2017 156.24 176.54  
20/03/2018 158.34 178.78  

Please refer to 5.2.6.10 for RA rates after 20 March 2018.

Notes for Table 3

Note Explanation
G From May 1986 RA of up to $10.00 per week became payable to unemployment benefit (UB) and SpB recipients who are:

  • married, or have dependent children (1.1.D.70), and in receipt of benefit for 6 months or more
  • unmarried aged 18 to 24 years inclusive, in receipt of benefit for 6 months or more, who are not living with a parent or guardian, or
  • unmarried, aged 25 years or more, in receipt of benefit for 6 months or more.
H From 1 July 1987 the separate income test for RA was abolished. The rate of RA was calculated solely by reference to the amount of rent (1.1.R.160) paid and was then added to the maximum rate of benefit. The total benefit paid was then reduced by the income test etc. where necessary.
I The rate and eligibility conditions for RA paid to recipients without dependent children were standardised from 13 December 1987 (i.e. $10.00 per week paid 26 weeks after date of commencement). Sickness benefit recipients receiving RA prior to 13 December 1987 are 'saved' at the higher rate (i.e. $15.00 per week) until eligibility for sickness benefit and RA is broken.
J As part of the families assistance package, recipients receiving unemployment, sickness benefit or SpB, who have at least one child under the age of 16 years for whom they were receiving family allowance, were eligible to be paid RA at $15.00 per week from the date of commencement or from 13 December 1987, whichever was later.
K From 13 June 1990, 3 rates of RA were payable, according to the number of dependent children in the family.
L From 20 March 1991 RA became subject to twice yearly indexation (March and September).
M From 20 March 1992 RA waiting period abolished for people aged 18 years or more and also for people under 18 years of age with a dependent child and/or partner (prior to 20 March 1992 people with an allowance or benefit increase child did not serve a waiting period).
RA extended to people under 18 years of age, paid at the homeless or independent rate of allowance or benefit, after an 18 week waiting period.
N From 1 January 1993 RA for recipients with children became payable as part of Family Payment.
O From 20 March 1993 a number of changes were introduced to target RA more effectively. The threshold of $25.00 a week was replaced by a structure of thresholds:

  • $30.00 for single recipients without children
  • $40.00 for sole parents
  • $50.00 for couples without children, and
  • $60.00 for couples with children.

The thresholds were indexed from 20 September 1993. The accrual rate increased from 50% to 75%, for amounts paid in excess of the threshold (up to the maximum amount).
The maximum rate of RA (1.1.M.60) for single recipients without children was increased by an extra $4.00 a fortnight. A savings provision was introduced to ensure that no existing recipient received less RA as a result of the above changes.
P From 1 July 2000, as part of the Government's tax reform measures, the maximum rates of RA were increased by 10%.
Q From 1 July 2000, RA became payable with the new FTB for recipients with children. Maximum rates and thresholds are rounded to 1c a day (not 20c a fortnight).

Policy reference: SS Guide 5.2.4.40 RA (families with children) - December 1987 to March 2018

Last reviewed: