Federal Member for Chifley, Roger Price announced that recipients of the Carers Allowance, Youth Allowance and some who receive the Disability Support Pension will receive an increase to their payments.
From 1 January 2010, over 1.1 million Australians who receive Carer Allowance, Youth Allowance and Disability Support Pension (under 21 without children) will receive increases in their payments as a result of indexation. Some income and assets limits will also change.
The increases are linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rise of 1.5 per cent for the 12 months to June 2009.
The following rates and limits have been indexed (to inflation):
? Carer Allowance recipients will receive an extra $1.60 per fortnight to
bring their rate to $106.70 per fortnight
? Students and young unemployed people receiving Youth Allowance will
get increases between $3.00 and $7.30 per fortnight
? Students receiving Austudy will get an increase of between $5.60 and
$7.30 per fortnight
? Young long-term unemployed people commencing full time study and
receiving Youth Allowance will get increases of up to $6.80 per fortnight
? Single under 21 year olds receiving Disability Support Pensions will get
increases of between $4.60 to $7.20 per fortnight, while members of a
couple will receive an increase of $4.10 per fortnight
? Personal income cut-offs for Youth Allowance and Austudy will increase
in line with the CPI
? Other payments such as Mobility Allowance and Double Orphan Pension
will also increase in line with the CPI. Additional Child Amounts (Paid
under some Overseas Agreements) and Permissible Child Earnings
Limits are also adjusted from 1 January 2010.
The rate of Pharmaceutical Allowance will remain at $6.00 per fortnight for eligible single recipients, and $3.00 per fortnight for each eligible member of a couple, as the CPI increase was not high enough to increase the Pharmaceutical Allowance.