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.

Social Security Guide Updates - 2026

20 March 2026 (v1.338)

PageTitleDetails
1.1.A.130Amount of disposition - assets & incomeRemoved information.
1.1.B.25Bereavement lump sum periodUpdated Legislative reference.
1.1.B.30Bereavement notification dayUpdated Legislative reference.
1.1.B.40Bereavement periodUpdated Legislative reference.
1.1.B.50Bereavement rate continuation periodUpdated Legislative reference.
1.1.F.150First available bereavement adjustment paydayUpdated Legislative reference.
1.1.I.185Interest in an asset (life, remainder, reversionary, contingent)Clarified policy and added Act reference.
1.1.L.90Long term available funds test (SpB)Clarified policy.
1.1.S.185Small debt waiver thresholdNew definition.
2.2.1.10General procedures for confirming & verifying identityClarified policy and updated Policy and Act references.
2.2.1.40Persons experiencing difficulty with identity confirmation & verificationUpdated and clarified policy.
3.1.5.98Death of dependent child under 16 years - JSP & YA recipientsUpdated example.
3.1.7.90Examples of waiving the SWPP - single peopleUpdated examples.
3.1.7.100Example of Waiving the SWPP - partnered recipientsUpdated to reflect indexation.
3.2.7.40Approved courses of study for YAClarified policy and added Act reference.
3.4.5.40How the HEAS is paidUpdated examples in line with rate indexation.
3.7.6.10Qualification for DRAClarified policy.
3.8.7.10TAL - qualification & payabilityClarified policy.
3.8.9.50Travel outside the study year for FAAUpdated example.
3.9.1.70LIC - assessment of incomeUpdated income limit rates for low income health care card.
3.9.3.20CSHC BenefitsClarified policy.
4.2.4.20PPP income & assets tests & limitsUpdated dates to reflect indexation.
4.3.2.35Income exempt from assessment - s 8(11) exempt lump sumsUpdated and clarified policy.
4.3.4.30Description: employment termination payments (ETPs) & roll-overs for the IMPRemoved information.
4.4.1.10Overview of deemingUpdated to reflect deeming rates and thresholds.
4.5.1Validation of the historical use of income apportionmentClarified policy.
4.5.2Further assessment of employment income earned between 1 July 1991 & 6 December 2020Clarified policy.
4.5.3.10EligibilityClarified policy.
4.5.3.70ReviewsClarified policy.
4.6.5.100Assessing Private Annuities & Overseas Income ProductsClarified policy.
4.6.8.40Private land use testClarified policy.
4.6.8.50General Provisions for the Extended Land Use TestClarified policy and added Policy and Act references.
4.10.7.60Historical income limits for LIC from 20/09/1996Updated to reflect indexation.
4.12.3.70Excluded TrustsClarified policy.
5.1.1.20YA - current ratesUpdated rates.
5.1.7.10RA - current ratesUpdated rates.
5.1.8.10Common Pension RatesUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.1.8.20Common benefit ratesUpdated to reflect indexation and clarified policy.
5.1.9.10Pension supplement - current ratesUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.1.20Single unemployment & sickness benefit - November 1984 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.1.30Partnered unemployment & sickness benefit - November 1984 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.2.10Maximum basic rates of pension - July 1909 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.2.15Historical transitional pension rates payable from 20/09/2009Updated to reflect indexation.
5.2.3.10Widow class A, supporting parent's benefit, sole parent pension, PPS - rates from July 1942 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.4.50Parenting payment & associated rates - July 1995 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.6.10RA rates - June 1990 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.8.10Pension supplement - historical ratesUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.4.1.35Formula for calculating certain pension advance paymentsUpdated examples to reflect indexation.
5.5.2.10Single person 22 years & over, no dependents, income over $300 per fortnightUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.2.20Single person 22 years & over, no dependents, income $256 & under per fortnightUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.2.30Single person 22 years & over, no dependents, paying no rentUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.2.40Single person aged under 22 years, no dependents, income $250 & under per fortnightUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.2.50Single Person 22 Years & over, Principal Carer of Dependent Child - To be updated for 20 March ratesUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.2.60Single Person 22 Years & over, no dependents, partial capacity to work 0 to 14 hours per week, income $256 & under per fortnightUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.3.10Partnered Allowance Recipient, Partner Also Receives an Allowance, Income Above Free AreasUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.3.30Partnered JSP recipient, partner's income results in nil rate, or partner not on income supportUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.3.50Partnered allowance recipient, partner receiving pensionUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.3.60Partnered allowance recipient - compensation effect on partnerUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.10PPP, partner not a pensionerUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.30PPP, partner a pensioner, recipient qualifies for PhAUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.40PPP, compensation effect on partnerUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.50PPS, underage pension age, 2 children.Updated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.60PPS, over age pension age, 1 childUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.5Samples of DRA rate calculationsUpdated dates to reflect indexation.
5.5.5.20DRA, eligible for JSP, income cut-off does not applyUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.5.30DRA, eligible for JSP, income cut-off appliesUpdated to reflect indexation.
6.7.3.60Waiver of a small debtClarified policy and added Act references and Policy reference.
8.1.1.80Claims from prisonersClarified policy.
8.3.2Start days for early claimsClarified policy.
8.5.1Payment nomineeClarified policy.

2 February 2026 (v1.337)

PageTitleDetails
1.1.E.125Entitlement periodUpdated policy reference.
1.1.E.180Exempt lump sumsClarified definition.
1.1.L.100Long term income support student (including apprentices) (YA, Austudy)Clarified policy.
1.1.L.140Lump sumClarified definition.
1.1.P.155Pension supplementAct reference added.
1.1.S.255Special residence, special residentUpdated definition.
1.1.S.435Supported residential servicesClarified policy.
3.2.7.100YA full-time students satisfactory progressUpdated Act reference.
3.5.1.130Supplementary benefits & employment assistance for PP recipientsClarified policy.
3.8.1.100Ineligible homeowners & RAClarified policy.
3.9.1.10Qualification for HCC - automatic issueClarified policy.
3.9.2.10Qualification for PCCClarified policy.
3.9.2.30PCC extension rulesClarified policy.
3.9.3.10Qualification for CSHCClarified policy.
3.11.14.10Types of failures & penaltiesUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.11.14.30Participation payment suspensions, connection failures, non-attendance failures, reconnection failures & penaltiesUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.11.14.50Compliance failures & penalties - general rulesClarified policy.
3.11.14.60Ending a serious failure periodUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.11.14.80Unemployment non-payment periodsUpdated to reflect legislative change.
4.3.3.06Employment periodClarified policy.
4.3.5.20About DVA service pensionsClarified policy.
4.3.5.30Overview of DVA compensation paymentsClarified purpose of allowances.
4.6.3.20Determining homeowners & non-homeownersClarified policy.
4.6.6.10General provisions for valuation of assetsClarified policy.
4.6.8.80Land adjacent to the principal home transitional provisionsClarified policy.
4.10.4.10Historical widow class A, sole parent benefit & PPS means test limitsUpdated to reflect indexation on Table 3 Income & assets test.
4.13.2.10Treatment of specific lump sumsClarified policy.
6.7.1.20Debts arising under the SSActClarified policy and added Policy reference.
6.7.1.30Assurance of support debts (deleted)The information has been removed - for current policy see 9.4.7.
6.7.3.40Waiver of debt on the basis of special circumstancesClarified policy.
6.7.3.100Waiver of Assurance of Support debtsClarified policy and added Act reference.
9.4.1.10Overview of the AoS schemeClarified policy.
9.4.7AoS debtsClarified policy.

28 January 2026 (v1.336)

PageTitleDetails
4.5Validation of the historical use of income apportionmentNew section.

2 January 2026 (v1.335)

PageTitleDetails
1.1.A.290AssetClarified definition.
1.1.A.310Assuree, assurer, assurance of support, assurance of support securityUpdated Act references.
1.1.A.375AWOTE, relevant AWOTE, AWOTE weeksUpdated AWOTE figure and updated example.
1.1.D.70Dependent childUpdated definition and added Act reference and Policy reference.
1.1.E.109Energy supplementClarified definition.
1.1.E.168Exempt accommodation (RA)Clarified definition.
1.1.P.290Physically present in a remote area (RAA) (deleted - see 3.8.8.10)Removed information.
1.1.R.50Reasonable security of tenureClarified definition.
1.1.S.290Sponsor (SpB)Clarified definition and added Policy reference.
1.2.4.10Parenting payment (PP) - descriptionClarified policy.
1.2.7.180Approved program of work supplement (APWS) - descriptionUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.1.5.94Calculating the amount of the one-off PBV - JSP recipientsUpdated Act reference.
3.1.7.30Calculating the SWPPClarified policy.
3.1.7.50Sample calculations - SWPPUpdated examples.
3.1.7.90Example of waiving the SWPP - single peopleUpdated examples.
3.1.7.100Example of waiving the SWPP - partnered recipientsUpdated example.
3.2.3.30Waiting, preclusion & exclusion periods for YAClarified policy.
3.2.7.70YA study-load - full-time tertiary studentsClarified policy.
3.6.2.30Manifest grants & continuing inability to work (DSP)Clarified policy and updated Act reference and Policy reference.
3.6.2.50Assessment of people with intellectual impairments for DSPClarified policy and updated Policy reference.
3.7.1.70Long term available funds test for SpBClarified policy.
3.7.1.100Notification & recipient obligations for SpBClarified policy.
3.7.6.20Determining the rate of DRAUpdated rates.
3.8.8.50Notification & recipient obligations for RAA recipientsClarified policy.
3.8.18APWS - qualification and payabilityUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.11.5.30Special family circumstancesClarified policy and updated examples.
3.11.14Consequences for not meeting mutual obligation requirements - Job Seeker Compliance FrameworkUpdated to reflect legislative change and updated Act reference.
3.11.14.20No show, no pay failuresUpdated to reflect legislative change and added Act reference.
3.11.14.40Serious failures & penaltiesUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.11.14.70Comprehensive compliance assessmentsUpdated to reflect legislative change and updated Act reference.
3.11.14.90Payment pending review - Job Seeker Compliance FrameworkUpdated to reflect legislative change.
3.11.15Reasonable excuseUpdated to reflect legislative change and added Act reference.
4.2.7DRA income testUpdated income cut-off amount.
4.2.8.50Full-time students - personal income test, limits & student income bankUpdated examples, income free area and maximum student income bank.
4.2.8.55Full-time Australian Apprentice - personal income test, limits & Australian Apprentice income bankUpdated income free area and examples.
4.3.2.31Income exempt from assessment - specifically approvedUpdated Minister approved personal care support schemes.
4.6.3.30Defining the principal homeAdded Act references.
4.6.4.70Granny flats - additional featuresClarified policy.
4.7.1.20Assessment of income for sole traders & partnershipsClarified policy.
4.10.1.50Historical employment amount (permissible child earnings) - January 1990 to present dateUpdated rate.
5.1.1.20YA - current ratesUpdated rates and added Act reference and Policy reference.
5.1.2.30Austudy - current ratesUpdated rates.
5.1.4.40DOP - current rateUpdated rate.
5.1.5.10DSP - current ratesUpdated rates.
5.1.7.20PhA - current ratesUpdated rates.
5.1.7.40Relocation scholarship - current ratesUpdated rates and examples.
5.1.7.46SSL - current rateUpdated rate.
5.1.10.10CEA - current rates (deleted)Removed information.
5.2.1.20Single unemployment & sickness benefit - November 1984 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.1.50Youth related payments - July 1986 to present dateUpdated rates.
5.2.2.40Historical rates of DSP for people under 21 years of age without dependent children - July 2000 to present dateUpdated rates.
5.2.3.30Wife's allowance &/or pension - July 1943 to October 1971 - changed from 5.2.3.40Renumbered page.
5.2.4.60DOP rates - October 1973 to present dateUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.2.6.50PhA rates - 01/11/90 to present dateUpdated rates.
5.5.2.40Single person aged under 22 years, no dependents, income $250 & under per fortnightUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.30PPP, partner a pensioner, recipient qualifies for PhAUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.4.50PPS, under age pension age, 2 children.Updated to reflect indexation.
5.5.5Samples of DRA rate calculationsUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.5.10DRA, eligible for YA, income cut-off does not applyUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.5.20DRA, eligible for JSP, income cut-off does not applyUpdated to reflect indexation.
5.5.5.30DRA, eligible for JSP, income cut-off appliesUpdated to reflect indexation.
6.7.2.80Debt recovery from financial institutionsClarified policy.