Centrelink Income Limits 2026-27: Every Cut-Off Point in One Table

Here is every major working-age payment cut-off in one place, updated for the 20 September 2026 rate indexation. The cut-off is the gross fortnightly income at which your payment reduces to $0. The income-test bands were verified against servicesaustralia.gov.au on 20 July 2026 (1 July 2026 review); the JobSeeker and Parenting Payment rates are the 20 September 2026 figures from the Department of Social Services indexation list, and their cut-offs are derived with the same taper maths that reproduced Services Australia's published 20 March 2026 cut-offs to the cent. They include the supplements (like Energy Supplement) that taper away last.

Youth Allowance at-home rates ($418.90 under 18, $482.40 at 18+) cut out at lower income levels than the away-from-home rows shown. For your exact situation — including at-home rates and partner income — use the Centrelink Income Test Calculator; it reproduces these published cut-offs to the cent.

Every payment pairs an income free area with a taper. For JobSeeker and Parenting Payment Partnered: nothing up to $150 a fortnight, then 50c per dollar from $150 to $256, then 60c per dollar above $256. Single principal carers on JobSeeker and everyone on Parenting Payment Single get a flat 40c per dollar taper instead — the most work-friendly test in the system, which is why a single parent with one child can earn up to $2,950.60 a fortnight before Parenting Payment Single stops. Students (Youth Allowance student/apprentice and Austudy) keep $539 a fortnight free, then 50c per dollar to $646 and 60c above; Youth Allowance job seekers get $150 free with the 60c rate from $250. Sources: Services Australia income test pages for JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance and Austudy, verified 20 July 2026.

Two buffers mean your first higher-earning fortnights often pay more than the raw taper suggests: Working Credit (allowance payments — builds when you earn under $48/fn) and the Student Income Bank (builds when you earn under $539/fn). Both run down before the taper bites.

For JobSeeker, Parenting Payment Partnered and Austudy, your partner can earn $1,415.00 a fortnight before your payment starts reducing — then it drops by 60c for every extra dollar they earn (where your partner is aged 22 to Age Pension age and not on a pension). If your own income is under the free area, the partner income cut-off is $2,686.67 a fortnight for the JobSeeker/PPP rate (20 September 2026 rates). Different free areas apply if your partner is under 22: $1,307.00 with no children, $1,402.00 with children. Source: Services Australia income test for JobSeeker Payment, verified 20 July 2026.

Remember both tests run at once — your income and your partner's can each reduce the payment, and either alone can take it to $0.

Family payments test annual adjusted taxable income rather than fortnightly earnings. The 2026-27 thresholds:

Sources: Services Australia FTB Part A and Part B income test pages and CCS income page, verified 20-21 July 2026. Estimate your amounts with the Family Tax Benefit Calculator and Child Care Subsidy Calculator — and because these are estimate-based payments, a stale income estimate becomes a debt at balancing; the FTB Debt Checker shows your projected position.

Mark the indexation calendar before relying on any figure for long: JobSeeker and Parenting Payment rates were indexed on 20 September 2026 (the figures above) and index again on 20 March 2027; Youth Allowance, Austudy and the student free area index on 1 January 2027; income free areas and the family payment thresholds are reviewed on 1 July each year. Whenever a rate rises, the cut-offs in the table above rise with it.

Also remember the cut-offs here cover the income test only — assets tests, waiting periods, parental means tests for dependent Youth Allowance, and mutual obligation rules all still apply, and Rent Assistance can push your personal cut-off higher than shown. Our calculators for each payment — JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy — model the income test in full.

How much can I earn before JobSeeker cuts out in 2026?

$1,557.17 gross per fortnight if you're single with no children, $2,399.50 as a single principal carer, or $1,439.33 if you're partnered — 20 September 2026 rates, with the income-test bands verified against Services Australia in July 2026. Your payment starts reducing once you earn over $150 a fortnight.

How much can I earn on Parenting Payment Single?

With one child, your payment starts reducing above $232.60 a fortnight (plus $24.60 for each extra child) at 40c per dollar, and cuts out at $2,950.60 a fortnight — about $76,700 a year. It's the most generous income test of any working-age payment.

How much can a student earn before losing Youth Allowance or Austudy?

Students keep $539 a fortnight free, then lose 50c per dollar to $646 and 60c above that. A single away-from-home student cuts out at $1,697.17 a fortnight — and the Student Income Bank (credits built in low-earning fortnights) can delay the reduction well past these figures in practice.

What is the income limit for Family Tax Benefit in 2026-27?

FTB Part A pays the maximum rate up to $69,131 of annual family income, then tapers at 20c per dollar; a base rate persists until income passes $123,078, after which it tapers at 30c per dollar (the cut-out point depends on how many children you have). The Part A supplement has a hard $80,000 limit.