The Guides to Social Policy Law is a collection of publications designed to assist decision makers administering social policy law. The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide to relevant legislation/policy. The information is accurate as at the date listed at the bottom of the page, but may be subject to change. To discuss individual circumstances please contact Services Australia.

5.2.3.10 Widow class A, supporting parent's benefit, sole parent pension, PPS - rates from July 1942 to present date

Rates

This table shows the rates in dollars per annum. The rates shown from 8 October 1963 include:

  • mother's allowance or guardian allowance (GA) (1.1.G.80) at the lower rate between September 1969 and November 1983 inclusive, and
  • additional pension for one child, known as child's allowance before its abolition from October 1968.
Date Note A Rate ($ p.a.)
27/07/1942 Note B 156.00
17/11/1942 158.60
09/02/1943 161.20
04/05/1943 163.80
21/09/1943 166.40
16/10/1945 195.00
08/07/1947 Note C 221.00
25/10/1948 247.00
07/11/1950 286.00
06/11/1951 338.00
07/10/1952 376.00
05/11/1953 390.00
01/11/1955 442.00
29/10/1957 481.00
13/10/1959 520.00
11/10/1960 546.00
10/10/1961 572.00
08/10/1963 884.00 Note D
06/10/1964 910.00
04/10/1966 Note E 962.00
01/10/1968 1,066.00
30/09/1969 1,118.00
29/09/1970 1,144.00
13/04/1971 1,170.00 Note F
12/10/1971 1,339.00 Note F
25/04/1972 1,391.00
10/10/1972 1,482.00
05/12/1972 1,560.00
09/10/1973 1,664.00
26/03/1974 1,820.00
13/08/1974 2,080.00
05/11/1974 2,106.00
06/05/1975 2,444.00
04/11/1975 Note G 2,613.00
13/05/1976 2,743.00
11/11/1976 2,860.00
12/05/1977 3,047.20
10/11/1977 Note H 3,161.60 Note H
11/05/1978 3,273.40
09/11/1978 3,364.40
08/11/1979 3,608.80
08/05/1980 3,772.60
06/11/1980 4,165.20 Note I
07/05/1981 4,297.80
05/11/1981 4,456.40
06/05/1982 4,687.80
04/11/1982 4,849.00
05/05/1983 5,114.20
03/11/1983 5,402.80 Note J
03/05/1984 5,688.80 Note K
01/11/1984 6,026.80 Note L
02/05/1985 6,151.60
14/11/1985 6,442.80 Note M
09/01/1986 6,442.80 or 6,338.80 Note N
01/05/1986 6,765.20 or 6,661.20 Note N, Note O
13/11/1986 6,817.20 Note P or 6,661.20 Note N
25/12/1986 7,030.40 Note P or 6,874.40 Note N
25/06/1987 7,339.80 Note P or 7,183.80 Note N
24/12/1987 8,117.20 or 7,805.20 or 7,545.20 Note Q
23/06/1988 8,322.60 or 8,010.60 or 7,750.60 Note Q
22/12/1988 8,697.00 or 8,333.00 or 7,969.00 Note R
22/06/1989 8,954.40 or 8,590.40 or 8,226.40
06/07/1989 9,115.60 or 8,590.40 or 8,226.40 Note T
23/11/1989 9,344.40 or 8,819.20 or 8,455.20
01/01/1990 9,451.00 or 8,873.80 or 8,502.00 Note U
26/04/1990 9,846.20 or 9,269.00 or 8,897.20
27/09/1990 10,088.00 or 9,510.00 or 9,139.00
03/01/1991 10,316.80 or 9,685.00 or 9,191.00
28/03/1991 10,574.20 or 9,942.40 or 9,448.40
02/01/1992 10,665.20 or 10,012.60 or 9,471.80
26/03/1992 10,782.20 or 10,129.50 or 9,588.80
03/04/1992 10,938.20 or 10,285.60 or 9,588.80
24/09/1992 10,938.20 or 10,285.60 or 9,588.80
28/01/1993 8,114.60 Note V
20/03/1993 8,114.60
20/09/1993 8,221.20
20/03/1994 8,270.60
20/09/1994 8,361.60
20/03/1995 8,478.60
20/09/1995 8,733.40
20/03/1996 8,907.60
20/09/1996 9,006.40
20/03/1997 9,042.80
20/09/1997 9,042.80
20/03/1998 9,219.60 Note W
20/09/1998 9,289.80
20/03/1999 9,396.40
20/09/1999 9,529.00
20/03/2000 9,672.00
01/07/2000 10,059.40
20/09/2000 10,246.60
20/03/2001 10,452.00
20/09/2001 10,673.00
20/03/2002 10,966.80
20/09/2002 11,164.40
20/03/2003 11,447.80
20/09/2003 11,772.80
20/03/2004 12,069.20
20/09/2004 12,238.20
20/03/2005 12,383.80
20/09/2005 12,711.40
20/03/2006 12,992.20
20/09/2006 13,314.60
20/03/2007 13,652.60
20/09/2007 13,980.20
20/03/2008 14,216.80
20/09/2008 14,614.60
20/03/2009 14,814.80
20/09/2009 14,937.00
20/03/2010 15,633.80
20/09/2010 15,909.40
20/03/2011 16,273.40
20/09/2011 16,679.00
20/03/2012 16,861.00
20/09/2012 17,256.20
20/03/2013 17,771.00 Note X
20/09/2013 18,197.40 Note X
20/03/2014 18,543.20 Note X
20/09/2014 18,727.80 Note X
20/03/2015 18,860.40 Note X
20/09/2015 19,011.20 Note X
20/03/2016 19,164.60 Note X
20/09/2016 19,201.00 Note X
20/03/2017 19,450.60 Note X
20/09/2017 19,567.60 Note X
20/03/2018 19,822.40 Note X
20/09/2018 19,981.00 Note X
20/03/2019 20,178.60 Note X
20/09/2019 20,298.20 Note X
20/03/2020 20,542.60 Note X
20/09/2020 20,620.60 Note X
20/03/2021 20,805.20 Note X
01/04/2021 22,105.20 Note X & Note Y
20/09/2021 22,414.60 Note X
20/03/2022 22,885.20 Note X
20/09/2022 23,800.40 Note X
20/03/2023 24,681.80 Note X
20/09/2023 25,225.20 Note X
20/03/2024 25,680.20 Note X
20/09/2024 26,195.00 Note X

Notes

These notes relate to widow class A, supporting parent's benefit, sole parent pension and PPS rates from July 1942.

Note Explanation
A The dates on which the rates were first applied.
B Payments were made 4-weekly in arrears from this date.
C Payments were made fortnightly in arrears from this date.
D This rate, and those following, included mother's allowance or GA of $208.00 per annum and additional pension for one child.
E From August 1968 widows' pensions were regarded as being paid in fortnightly instalments of one twenty-sixth of the annual rate rather than fortnightly in arrears.
F The maximum increase was paid where means as assessed was less than $520.00. The amount of increase was reduced by half of means as assessed in excess of $520.00.
G From 11 December 1975 widow's pension paydays were amalgamated with Age and invalid pension paydays. The last widow's pension and supporting mother's benefit payday was 2 December 1975.
H Supporting parent's benefit was paid at the same rates and was subject to the same income test as class A widow's pension. Supporting mother's benefit was introduced from 3 July 1973. Eligibility criteria widened from 10 November 1977 to include supporting fathers.
I From 6 November 1980 the rates include mother's allowance or GA of $312.00 per annum and additional pension (for one child $520.00 per annum). Additionally, the 6 months waiting period for the grant of supporting parent's benefit was removed.
J Additional pension for one child increased to $624.00 per annum.
K Mother's allowance or GA paid at uniform rate of $416.00 per annum regardless of age and health of children.
L Additional pension for one child increased to $728.00 per annum and mother's allowance or GA increased to $520.00 per annum.
M Additional pension for one child increased to $832.00 per annum.
N Additional pension reduced by $2.00 per week for a child aged 16 years or over in receipt of payments under the Tertiary Education Assistance Scheme or in respect of whom payments under the Secondary Allowances Scheme are being made.
O Mother's allowance or GA increased from $10.00 per week to $12.00 per week from 1 May 1986.
P Additional pension for one child increased to $884.00 per annum.
Q Additional pension for children increased to:
  • $1,456 per annum for children aged 13, 14 or 15 years
  • $1,144 per annum for children under 13 years
  • $884.00 per annum for student children aged 16 to 24 years not on Austudy and not receiving or attracting payment of a Commonwealth pension, allowance or benefit (unchanged).
R Additional pension for children increased to:
  • $1,612 per annum for children aged 13, 14 or 15 years
  • $1,248 per annum for children under 13 years
  • $884.00 per annum for student children aged 16 to 24 years not on Austudy and not receiving or attracting payment of a Commonwealth pension, allowance or benefit (unchanged).
S In March 1989 supporting parent's benefit and class A widow's pension were amalgamated under the new title sole parent pension.
T From 6 July 1989 the rate of additional pension for 13 to 15 year olds increased to $1,773.20 per annum.
U From 1 January 1990 additional pension for children apart from student children and mother's allowance or GA became subject to annual indexation (1.1.I.100).
V From 1 January 1993 GA is paid as an add-on to additional family payment (AFP). Additional pension is now known as AFP.
W From 20 March 1998, sole parent pension was replaced by PPS.
SS Guide 5.2.4.50 Parenting payment & associated rates - July 1995 to present date
X An amount of ES may be payable in addition to this rate (5.1.10.20).
Y On 1 April 2021, the MBRs of working age payments increased by $50.00 per fortnight. This was given effect through the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Act 2021.

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