Payment rates

Youth Allowance rates are maximum rates. They are the starting point, and income tests then reduce them. This page gives the student and apprentice maximums from 1 January 2026, the special higher rates for some older students, and the job seeker income cut-offs published by Services Australia. Every rate here is dated, because an undated rate is how people get caught out.

Student and apprentice maximums from 1 January 2026

Services Australia states that it updates these payment rates on 1 January each year, so the next change after the rates below is 1 January 2027. All figures are maximum fortnightly payments.

Situation	Maximum per fortnight
Single, no children, younger than 18, living at your parent's home	$418.90
Single, no children, younger than 18, living away from home	$677.20
Single, no children, 18 or older, living at your parent's home	$482.40
Single, no children, 18 or older, living away from home	$677.20
Single, with children	$854.20
A couple, with no children	$677.20
A couple, with children	$733.20

Notice the pattern: for a single student with no children, the away-from-home rate is the same ($677.20) whether you are under or over 18, while the at-home rate rises from $418.90 to $482.40 at 18. The gap between at-home and away-from-home rates for an 18-year-old is $194.80 per fortnight, which is why the away-from-home criteria matter so much. Living away from home for Youth Allowance purposes is not simply having a different address; you must need to live away from your parent's home, for example because your course or apprenticeship requires it, and you cannot simply rent from your parents and claim the higher rate.

Special higher rates

Services Australia publishes different, higher rates for students and apprentices aged 22 or older in two situations: if you were receiving another income support payment long term before starting study or an apprenticeship, or if English is not your first language and you are studying an English language course. The special maximums are $567.50 per fortnight for a single person living at your parent's home, $799.70 per fortnight for a single person who needs to live away from home, and $733.20 per fortnight for a couple with no children. For the long-term income support version, you must generally be at least 22, have no dependent child, carry a full-time or concessional study load, and have received the other payment for at least 26 of the last 39 weeks before starting your course or apprenticeship. Do not claim the special rate unless you meet its conditions; Services Australia checks.

Job seeker cut-offs (Services Australia personal income test page)

For job seekers, Services Australia publishes the maximum income before the payment reduces to $0, rather than a single rate table on the same page. Those cut-offs are:

Situation	Maximum income before payment is $0
Single, no children, younger than 18, living at your parent's home	$871.34 per fortnight
Single, no children, 18 or older, living at your parent's home	$978.34 per fortnight
Single or in a couple, no children, living away from home	$1,307.00 per fortnight
Member of a couple with children	$1,401.50 per fortnight
Single with children	$1,605.67 per fortnight
Single principal carer of children under 16, exempt from mutual obligations	$1,978.67 per fortnight (includes Pharmaceutical Allowance)

Job seeker rates are indexed on the usual allowance cycle rather than the student 1 January cycle, so check the current job seeker page before relying on any job seeker figure. If a job seeker's payment reduces to $0 for 12 fortnights in a row because of employment income, the payment is cancelled and a new claim is needed if income later falls.

Supplements and tax

Extra payments may be payable on top of the basic rate in some situations, such as Rent Assistance if you pay private rent, an Energy Supplement in some cases, Pharmaceutical Allowance, and Remote Area Allowance for people living in remote Australia. The amounts and eligibility for supplements change and are assessed separately, so this site does not present a single combined figure. Remember also that Youth Allowance for recipients aged 16 or older is taxable, and that a parent or guardian usually receives the payment for a dependent recipient younger than 18.

Disclaimer: This guide gives general information only. It is not legal or financial advice, and it does not guarantee any outcome. Services Australia decides each concrete case on its own facts, so always check the current Services Australia page before you act. Questions about this guide: hello [at] tapetoolhq.com.

Sources: Services Australia (servicesaustralia.gov.au) Youth Allowance pages, checked 25 October 2026. Figures on this page are dated where they appear; student payment rates are the 1 January 2026 rates unless stated otherwise.

Photo credits: ya16.jpg (Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay); ya17.jpg (Elizabeth Quay Bridge, Perth); ya18.jpg (Darwin waterfront)