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 ARate ($ p.a.)
27/07/1942 Note B156.00
17/11/1942158.60
09/02/1943161.20
04/05/1943163.80
21/09/1943166.40
16/10/1945195.00
08/07/1947 Note C221.00
25/10/1948247.00
07/11/1950286.00
06/11/1951338.00
07/10/1952376.00
05/11/1953390.00
01/11/1955442.00
29/10/1957481.00
13/10/1959520.00
11/10/1960546.00
10/10/1961572.00
08/10/1963884.00 Note D
06/10/1964910.00
04/10/1966 Note E962.00
01/10/19681,066.00
30/09/19691,118.00
29/09/19701,144.00
13/04/19711,170.00 Note F
12/10/19711,339.00 Note F
25/04/19721,391.00
10/10/19721,482.00
05/12/19721,560.00
09/10/19731,664.00
26/03/19741,820.00
13/08/19742,080.00
05/11/19742,106.00
06/05/19752,444.00
04/11/1975 Note G2,613.00
13/05/19762,743.00
11/11/19762,860.00
12/05/19773,047.20
10/11/1977 Note H3,161.60 Note H
11/05/19783,273.40
09/11/19783,364.40
08/11/19793,608.80
08/05/19803,772.60
06/11/19804,165.20 Note I
07/05/19814,297.80
05/11/19814,456.40
06/05/19824,687.80
04/11/19824,849.00
05/05/19835,114.20
03/11/19835,402.80 Note J
03/05/19845,688.80 Note K
01/11/19846,026.80 Note L
02/05/19856,151.60
14/11/19856,442.80 Note M
09/01/19866,442.80 or 6,338.80 Note N
01/05/19866,765.20 or 6,661.20 Note N, Note O
13/11/19866,817.20 Note P or 6,661.20 Note N
25/12/19867,030.40 Note P or 6,874.40 Note N
25/06/19877,339.80 Note P or 7,183.80 Note N
24/12/19878,117.20 or 7,805.20 or 7,545.20 Note Q
23/06/19888,322.60 or 8,010.60 or 7,750.60 Note Q
22/12/19888,697.00 or 8,333.00 or 7,969.00 Note R
22/06/19898,954.40 or 8,590.40 or 8,226.40
06/07/19899,115.60 or 8,590.40 or 8,226.40 Note T
23/11/19899,344.40 or 8,819.20 or 8,455.20
01/01/19909,451.00 or 8,873.80 or 8,502.00 Note U
26/04/19909,846.20 or 9,269.00 or 8,897.20
27/09/199010,088.00 or 9,510.00 or 9,139.00
03/01/199110,316.80 or 9,685.00 or 9,191.00
28/03/199110,574.20 or 9,942.40 or 9,448.40
02/01/199210,665.20 or 10,012.60 or 9,471.80
26/03/199210,782.20 or 10,129.50 or 9,588.80
03/04/199210,938.20 or 10,285.60 or 9,588.80
24/09/199210,938.20 or 10,285.60 or 9,588.80
28/01/19938,114.60 Note V
20/03/19938,114.60
20/09/19938,221.20
20/03/19948,270.60
20/09/19948,361.60
20/03/19958,478.60
20/09/19958,733.40
20/03/19968,907.60
20/09/19969,006.40
20/03/19979,042.80
20/09/19979,042.80
20/03/19989,219.60 Note W
20/09/19989,289.80
20/03/19999,396.40
20/09/19999,529.00
20/03/20009,672.00
01/07/200010,059.40
20/09/200010,246.60
20/03/200110,452.00
20/09/200110,673.00
20/03/200210,966.80
20/09/200211,164.40
20/03/200311,447.80
20/09/200311,772.80
20/03/200412,069.20
20/09/200412,238.20
20/03/200512,383.80
20/09/200512,711.40
20/03/200612,992.20
20/09/200613,314.60
20/03/200713,652.60
20/09/200713,980.20
20/03/200814,216.80
20/09/200814,614.60
20/03/200914,814.80
20/09/200914,937.00
20/03/201015,633.80
20/09/201015,909.40
20/03/201116,273.40
20/09/201116,679.00
20/03/201216,861.00
20/09/201217,256.20
20/03/201317,771.00 Note X
20/09/201318,197.40 Note X
20/03/201418,543.20 Note X
20/09/201418,727.80 Note X
20/03/201518,860.40 Note X
20/09/201519,011.20 Note X
20/03/201619,164.60 Note X
20/09/201619,201.00 Note X
20/03/201719,450.60 Note X
20/09/201719,567.60 Note X
20/03/201819,822.40 Note X
20/09/201819,981.00 Note X
20/03/201920,178.60 Note X
20/09/201920,298.20 Note X
20/03/202020,542.60 Note X
20/09/202020,620.60 Note X
20/03/202120,805.20 Note X
01/04/202122,105.20 Note X & Note Y
20/09/202122,414.60 Note X
20/03/202222,885.20 Note X
20/09/202223,800.40 Note X
20/03/202324,681.80 Note X
20/09/202325,225.20 Note X
20/03/202425,680.20 Note X
20/09/202426,195.00 Note X
20/03/202526,299.00 Note X

Notes

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

NoteExplanation
AThe dates on which the rates were first applied.
BPayments were made 4-weekly in arrears from this date.
CPayments were made fortnightly in arrears from this date.
DThis rate, and those following, included mother's allowance or GA of $208.00 per annum and additional pension for one child.
EFrom 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.
FThe 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.
GFrom 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.
HSupporting 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.
IFrom 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.
JAdditional pension for one child increased to $624.00 per annum.
KMother's allowance or GA paid at uniform rate of $416.00 per annum regardless of age and health of children.
LAdditional pension for one child increased to $728.00 per annum and mother's allowance or GA increased to $520.00 per annum.
MAdditional pension for one child increased to $832.00 per annum.
NAdditional 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.
OMother's allowance or GA increased from $10.00 per week to $12.00 per week from 1 May 1986.
PAdditional 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).
SIn March 1989 supporting parent's benefit and class A widow's pension were amalgamated under the new title sole parent pension.
TFrom 6 July 1989 the rate of additional pension for 13 to 15 year olds increased to $1,773.20 per annum.
UFrom 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).
VFrom 1 January 1993 GA is paid as an add-on to additional family payment (AFP). Additional pension is now known as AFP.
WFrom 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
XAn amount of ES may be payable in addition to this rate (5.1.10.20).
YOn 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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