Income rules for Jobseeker Support Student Hardship

Effect on payments

If you're single and don't have children, you can earn up to $160 a week before tax, before it affects your Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.

Once you earn over $160 a week before tax, your payment reduces by 70 cents for every extra $1 of income you earn.

Have a partner

If you have a partner and you're both getting, or entitled to get, a benefit in your own right (other than Veteran's Pension) then:

• you can jointly earn up to $160 a week before tax, before it affects your Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
• each of your benefits is reduced by 35 cents for every $1 of income you and your partner earn over $160 a week before tax.

Sole parents

If you're a sole parent, you can earn up to $160 a week before tax, before your benefit is affected.

Once you earn over $160 a week before tax any:

• income you get between $160 and $250 a week before tax will reduce your benefit by 30 cents for each $1 of income
• income you get over $250 a week before tax will reduce your benefit by 70 cents for every $1 of income.

If you're paying for childcare, you can earn up to $20 a week more than these limits before your payment is affected.

Example

If you do pay for childcare and you are eligible for the Childcare Cost exemption, the first $180 you earn won’t affect your benefit. The $30 you earn after this will reduce your benefit by $9.

If you get $210 before tax, the first $160 won't affect your benefit. The $50 you earn after this will reduce your benefit by 30 cents for each $1. This means your benefit will be reduced by $15 if you do not pay for childcare.

How to tell us

Email us with 'Declare Income' as your topic or call us

You need to let us know the:

• dates of the week you worked
• amount of income you earned (before tax)
• number of hours you worked
• name of your employer.

You need to tell us:

• each week that your income changes
• by the Sunday of the week you earn it or you may have a debt to pay back.