About the JobSeeker Payment Calculator
This calculator estimates your fortnightly JobSeeker Payment after Centrelink’s income test. It starts from the maximum basic rate for your situation — $824.90 a fortnight for a single person aged 22 or over from 20 September 2026 — adds the Energy Supplement, and then reduces it for the income you earn: nothing for the first $150 a fortnight, 50 cents in the dollar between $150 and $256, and 60 cents in the dollar above $256. Single principal carers have a gentler 40-cent taper.
If you have a partner, their income can also reduce your payment. Where your partner is not on an income support payment, each dollar they earn above the partner income free area ($1,440 a fortnight) cuts your rate by 60 cents. The calculator shows the reduction, the payment you would receive and the income at which your payment stops.
Enter income per fortnight before tax. Rent Assistance, Pharmaceutical Allowance and the Working Credit balance are not included, and rates are indexed every 20 March and 20 September, so use the result as a guide and check your Centrelink online account for your actual entitlement.
With the default inputs, the estimated jobseeker per fortnight is $754.30. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the jobseeker payment calculator
- 1Choose the situation that matches you (single, principal carer, 55+, partial capacity or partnered).
- 2Enter your gross income for the fortnight.
- 3If you have a partner who is not on income support, enter their fortnightly income.
- 4Read your estimated payment, the reductions and the income where payment stops.
Formula and method
The maximum rate is the basic JobSeeker rate for your situation plus the Energy Supplement. Your own fortnightly income (I) up to $150 is ignored; income between $150 and $256 reduces the payment by 50 cents in the dollar and income above $256 by 60 cents in the dollar. Single principal carers instead lose 40 cents for each dollar above $150.
For a partner who is not on income support, Services Australia works out a partner income free area — the income at which the partner’s own JobSeeker would stop: ($763.00 − $53.00) ÷ 0.6 + $256, rounded up to $1,440 from 20 September 2026. Each dollar of partner income above that reduces your payment by 60 cents. This is the method in DSS Social Security Guide 5.5.3.30, whose worked example (own income $180, partner earning $1,500) is reproduced in the examples below.
- I
- Your gross assessable income per fortnight
- Max rate
- Basic rate + Energy Supplement for your situation
- (x)⁺
- x if positive, otherwise 0
Worked examples
Single, earning $300 a fortnight
The maximum is $824.90 + $8.80 Energy Supplement = $833.70. Income between $150 and $256 costs $53 (50c in the dollar) and the $44 above $256 costs $26.40 (60c), a $79.40 reduction, leaving $754.30 a fortnight.
Single with $360 of fortnightly income
Income between $150 and $256 costs $53.00 and the $104 above $256 costs 0.6 × $104 = $62.40, a $115.40 reduction. Without Rent Assistance the payment is $833.70 − $115.40 = $718.30 a fortnight.
Single principal carer earning $300
Principal carers get the higher $883.30 rate plus $9.50 ES and a 40c taper above $150: 0.4 × $150 = $60, so $832.80 is payable (before any Pharmaceutical Allowance).
Partnered, $180 own income, partner earns $1,500 (DSS worked example)
Own income above $150 reduces the $763.00 partnered maximum by $15. The partner’s $1,500 is $60 above the $1,440 partner income free area, a further 60% × $60 = $36 reduction, leaving $712 a fortnight.
Frequently asked questions
How much is JobSeeker from 20 September 2026?+
The maximum basic rate is $824.90 a fortnight for a single person aged 22 or over with no children, $883.30 for single principal carers, single people 55+ after nine months and those with a partial capacity to work of 0–14 hours, and $755.10 each for partnered recipients. Energy Supplement is paid on top.
How much can I earn on JobSeeker before it is reduced?+
You can earn $150 a fortnight before your payment is reduced. Income between $150 and $256 reduces it by 50 cents in the dollar and income above $256 by 60 cents in the dollar (40 cents above $150 for single principal carers).
At what income does JobSeeker stop?+
For a single person with no children receiving Energy Supplement, JobSeeker reaches nil at about $1,557 of income a fortnight. The cut-out is higher for principal carers and those on the higher single rate.
Does my partner’s income affect my JobSeeker?+
Yes. If your partner is not on income support, every dollar they earn above the partner income free area of $1,440 a fortnight reduces your payment by 60 cents. If your partner is also on a payment, any of their income above their own cut-out is transferred to you at 60 cents in the dollar.
Is JobSeeker taxable?+
Yes. JobSeeker Payment is taxable income, although most people on JobSeeker alone pay little or no tax because of the tax-free threshold and the low income tax offset.
What is Working Credit?+
Working Credit lets you build up a balance of up to $4,500 by earning less than $150 a fortnight. When you later earn more, the credit is used to offset income before the income test applies. This calculator does not include Working Credit.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.
Sources
- DSS Social Security Guide 5.1.8.20 — Common benefit rates (from 20 September 2026)
- DSS Social Security Guide 5.1.10.20 — Energy Supplement current rates
- DSS Social Security Guide 5.5.3.30 — Partner not on income support (worked example)
- Services Australia — How much JobSeeker Payment you can get
- Services Australia — Income test for JobSeeker Payment (free area, tapers, partner cut-off)