Income rules for benefits
If you get any income, you need to tell us straight away as it could affect how much you get for Jobseeker Support Student Hardship or Emergency Benefit.
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 payments
If you're single and don't have children, you can earn up to $160 a week before tax, before it affects your benefit.
Once you earn over $160 a week before tax, your benefit 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 benefit
- 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 benefit 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
You need to let us know by the Sunday of the week you earn the money, not the week you've been paid.
We'll work out what your benefit payment will be in the following week. It affects the following week's payment because we pay for the week that's just been.
Email us with 'Declare Income' as your topic or call us (you can't tell us in MyStudyLink).
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.
We’ll contact you if there’s anything more you need to do.
We may need certain documents from you.
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