Age Pension vs JobSeeker
The Age Pension and JobSeeker are both regular income support payments, but they are built very differently. The Age Pension is a pension for older people, while JobSeeker is a working-age allowance for people looking for work or temporarily unable to work.
The most striking difference is the amount. The Age Pension is paid at a noticeably higher rate than JobSeeker, and the gap has widened over the years because of the way each payment is indexed. The rate table on this page shows the current figures for both.
| Payment | Per fortnight | ≈ per year | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Pension | $1,200.90 | $31,223.40 | 20 March 2026 |
| JobSeeker Payment | $808.70 | $21,026.20 | 20 March 2026 |
The key differences
Rate basis: the Age Pension is a pension paid at pension rates; JobSeeker is a working-age allowance paid at a lower rate.
Indexation: pensions are adjusted by the higher of two cost-of-living measures and then benchmarked to wages; JobSeeker only moves with the Consumer Price Index.
Index dates: both change on 20 March and 20 September, so their current figures share the same effective dates.
Means tests: the Age Pension applies both an income test and an assets test and pays the lower result; JobSeeker is mainly income tested, with an assets limit that is pass or fail.
Supplements: both totals include an Energy Supplement, paid automatically, but only the Age Pension adds the Pension Supplement; JobSeeker has no Pension Supplement, which widens the gap.
Purpose: the Age Pension supports people who have reached Age Pension age; JobSeeker supports working-age people with mutual obligation requirements such as looking for work.
Who gets more
The Age Pension pays more than JobSeeker. It has a higher base rate, it adds the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement into the total, and it is indexed by the more generous pension method. A single pensioner on the full rate receives well above a single JobSeeker recipient. The rate table on this page shows both current totals side by side.
The gap is not just about today's rates. Because pensions are benchmarked to wages and JobSeeker is not, the difference between them has grown over time. This is the core of the long-running debate about whether JobSeeker has fallen too far behind the pension.
See each payment in full
Common questions
- Why is the Age Pension higher than JobSeeker?
- The Age Pension is a pension, paid at a higher base rate with the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement added in, and it is indexed by the more generous pension method that checks wages as well as prices. JobSeeker is a working-age allowance that only moves with prices, so it has fallen further behind over time.
- Can I get the Age Pension and JobSeeker at the same time?
- No. You cannot generally get two income support payments at once. When you reach Age Pension age and qualify, you would move from JobSeeker to the Age Pension, not receive both.
Rates current as of 17 July 2026. Source: DSS / Services Australia. Last checked 17 July 2026.