How income affects Student Allowance

If you don’t tell us about your income we may pay you too much and you’ll have a debt to pay back.

Effect on your payments

After this the Student Allowance reduces cent for cent.

Example

• Your Student Allowance weekly payment is $212.45 after tax
• You earned $350 last week before tax.
• Your Student Allowance payment will be reduced by $121.46 after tax to $90.99 after tax.

If you have a partner

When you're in a recognised relationship, how much you get for a Student Allowance is based on your income and your partner's income.

Below is a guideline for what you could get based on your income and your partner’s income and other circumstances.

Combined weekly income before tax is:	You might be able to get between:
Less than $428.60	$175 - $375 a week after tax
Between $428.60 and $892.72	$75 - $138 a week after tax
More than $892.72	You can't get a Student Allowance

If you’re getting a Student Allowance and your personal income is over $214.30 a week before tax, your weekly rate will then further reduce cent for cent.

Example

• You earn $350 gross a week and your partner earns $50 gross a week, so your total income is $400 gross a week.
• This means you could get between $175-$375 a week for Student Allowance, due to your combined income.
• As you earn $350 gross a week (which is over $214.30) your Student Allowance rate will be further reduced by $121.46 after tax.

If you get Accommodation Benefit

Your Accommodation Benefit payment will stay the same, even if your Student Allowance payment goes down. But if your Student Allowance payment stops, your Accommodation Benefit will stop as well.

If you get Student Loan living costs

Your living costs payment reduces by the amount of Student Allowance you get. So if your Student Allowance payment goes down, this amount may increase.