Disability Support Pension rates 2026
Disability Support Pension · Single
Typical total per fortnight · $32,180.20 ≈ per year (×26 fortnights)
- Basic Rate
- $1,135.40
- Pension Supplement
- $88.20
- Energy Supplement
- $14.10
- Total per fortnight
- $1,237.70
Effective 20 September 2026 · Source: DSS / Services Australia · What changed on 20 September 2026
Disability Support Pension, or DSP, is income support for people aged 21 or over who have a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that stops them working. It gives a regular fortnightly payment at pension rates. It is paid by Services Australia through Centrelink.
This page shows the adult DSP rates, with their effective date, and how the income and assets tests work. DSP is indexed twice a year, and the next change is on 20 March 2027.
Full Disability Support Pension rate table
| Variant | Base rate | Supplements | Total /fortnight | ≈ per year (×26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,135.40 | $102.30 | $1,237.70 | $32,180.20 |
| Couple (each) | $855.90 | $77.10 | $933.00 | $24,258 |
| Couple (combined) | $1,711.80 | $154.20 | $1,866.00 | $48,516 |
Source: DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 20 September 2026 — Pension — Single — Resident (common pension rate) · DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 20 September 2026 — Pension — Partnered (each) — Resident (common pension rate) · derived: 2 × Couple (each) — DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 20 September 2026 — Pension — Partnered (each) — Resident
The table below shows the adult DSP rates. Because DSP for people 21 and over is paid at pension rates, the rates match the Age Pension: a single rate, and a lower rate each for members of a couple. The total is a basic rate plus the Pension Supplement and the Energy Supplement.
When a figure is labelled a total, it means those parts added together. People under 21 without children are paid youth rates instead, which are shown on the DSP under 21 page.
What changed on 20 September 2026
| Rate | Before 20 September 2026 | From 20 September 2026 | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,200.90 | $1,237.70 | +$36.80 | +3.06% |
| Couple (each) | $905.20 | $933.00 | +$27.80 | +3.07% |
| Couple (combined) | $1,810.40 | $1,866.00 | +$55.60 | +3.07% |
- On 20 September 2026, Disability Support Pension, single, rose $36.80, or 3.06%, from $1,200.90 to $1,237.70.
- Disability Support Pension, single, pays up to $1,237.70 a fortnight, $404.00 (48.46%) more than JobSeeker for a single person with no children at $833.70.
Disability Support Pension in 2026
| Rate | Before | 1 January 2026 | 20 March 2026 | 1 July 2026 | 20 September 2026 | 2026 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $1,178.70 | — | $1,200.90 | — | $1,237.70 | +$59.00 (+5.01%) |
| Couple (each) | $888.50 | — | $905.20 | — | $933.00 | +$44.50 (+5.01%) |
| Couple (combined) | $1,777.00 | — | $1,810.40 | — | $1,866.00 | +$89.00 (+5.01%) |
- Disability Support Pension, single, rose $59.00 (5.01%) across 2026, from $1,178.70 to $1,237.70: $22.20 on 20 March 2026 and $36.80 on 20 September 2026.
How much Disability Support Pension pays
The adult DSP rate for your situation is shown in the data block and table above, with its effective date. It is paid every two weeks and includes the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement.
That figure is the maximum. How much you actually get depends on your income and assets. If either is over the free area, your payment is lower. The next increase is on 20 March 2027.
| Situation | Income a fortnight | Rent a fortnight | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, homeowner, no other income | $0 | — | $1,237.70 a fortnight |
| Single, homeowner, with other income | $500 | — | $1,100.70 a fortnight |
| Single, renting, no other income (includes Rent Assistance) | $0 | $450 | $1,456.85 a fortnight |
| Couple, homeowners, combined other income (combined payment) | $500 | — | $1,814.00 a fortnight |
| Couple, renting, no other income (combined, includes Rent Assistance) | $0 | $450 | $2,011.65 a fortnight |
Assets under the assets-test free area and no financial assets, so no deemed income. Other income is per fortnight. Rent Assistance uses the no-children rates.
- With $500 a fortnight of other income, a single homeowner is paid $1,100.70, $137.00 less than the maximum.
- Renting at $450 a fortnight adds $219.15 of Rent Assistance for a single pensioner, making the payment $1,456.85, $219.15 more than a homeowner with no income.
Disability Support Pension income test
| Fortnightly income | Effect on your payment |
|---|---|
| Up to $226 | No reduction (this is the income free area) |
| $226 and above | Reduces by 50c for each dollar over $226 |
Source: Services Australia, A guide to Australian Government payments (CO029), 20 September 2026 edition — Income test for pensions; free areas from DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 1 July 2026; income limits from DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 20 September 2026
For couples the 50-cent taper applies to combined income above the combined free area and reduces the combined pension.
| Situation | Payment reduces to nil at |
|---|---|
| Single | $2,701.40 /fortnight |
| Couple (combined) | $4,128 /fortnight |
| Couple (combined) — Illness separated | $5,346.80 /fortnight |
This payment's income test counts deemed income from your financial assets, not just the income you actually receive.
The income test has a fortnightly income free area. You can have income up to that amount and still get the full pension. Above the free area, your pension reduces by 50 cents for every extra dollar of income. For a couple, the combined income is tested.
Income from financial assets is worked out using deeming, not the actual return. Deemed income is added to any other income to give your total assessable income.
Once your income is high enough, the pension reduces to zero. The cut-off is shown in the income test table on this page.
Where Disability Support Pension stops
| Situation | Income free area | Payment reaches $0 at | DSS figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $226 | $2,701.40 a fortnight | Matches the DSS limit |
| Couple, combined income | $396 | $4,128.00 a fortnight | Matches the DSS limit |
| Couple separated by illness, combined income | $396 | $5,346.80 a fortnight | Matches the DSS limit |
Rounded up to the cent, as DSS rounds its limits.
- Single: the payment reaches $0 at $2,701.40 a fortnight of income, $2,475.40 more than the $226.00 income free area.
- The cut-out for couple, combined income, $4,128.00, is $1,426.60 higher than for single, $2,701.40.
- That is $1,144.23 higher than JobSeeker's single cut-out of $1,557.17.
Disability Support Pension assets test
| Situation | Assets free area |
|---|---|
| Single — Homeowner | $333,000 |
| Couple (combined) — Homeowner | $499,000 |
| Couple (combined) — Illness separated — Homeowner | $499,000 |
| Single — Non-homeowner | $600,000 |
| Couple (combined) — Non-homeowner | $766,000 |
| Couple (combined) — Illness separated — Non-homeowner | $766,000 |
Source: DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 1 July 2026 — Pension — Assets free areas; DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 20 September 2026 — Pension — Assets limits — Resident
Above the free area, your payment reduces by $3 a fortnight for every 1,000 dollars of assessable assets.
| Situation | Assets limit |
|---|---|
| Single — Homeowner | $745,750 |
| Couple (combined), including where only one partner is eligible — Homeowner | $1,121,000 |
| Couple (combined) — Illness separated — Homeowner | $1,324,500 |
| Single — Non-homeowner | $1,012,750 |
| Couple (combined), including where only one partner is eligible — Non-homeowner | $1,388,000 |
| Couple (combined) — Illness separated — Non-homeowner | $1,591,500 |
The assets test counts most of what you own, apart from your home if you are a homeowner. There is an assets free area, and it depends on whether you own your home and whether you are single or a couple. Homeowners have a lower free area than non-homeowners.
Above the free area, the pension reduces by a set amount for every extra thousand dollars of assets. Because both tests apply and the lower result is paid, you can be over the assets limit and get no pension even if your income is low. The free areas and cut-offs are in the assets test table on this page.
- A single homeowner's payment stops once assets reach $745,750, $412,750 more than the $333,000 free area, at $3.00 a fortnight less for each $1,000 in between.
- A single non-homeowner can hold $267,000 more in assets than a homeowner before the payment starts to fall.
What this means
DSP for people 21 and over is paid every two weeks at the same rates as the Age Pension, and the total already includes the Pension Supplement and the Energy Supplement.
Two tests decide your rate: an income test and an assets test. Services Australia works out your payment under both, then pays the lower of the two results. Financial assets are assessed using deeming, the same as for the Age Pension.
DSP is a pension, so it is indexed by the pension method: the higher of two inflation measures, then checked against a wage benchmark. This is more generous over time than the way working-age allowances like JobSeeker are indexed.
The next increase is on 20 March 2027, and this page updates to match.
Who can get Disability Support Pension
Services Australia assesses DSP on your medical condition and how it affects your ability to work, as well as your age, residence status, and income and assets. There are medical rules about the condition being permanent and fully diagnosed, treated and stabilised.
This page reports the rates and the test rules. It does not decide your claim, and it does not assess your medical eligibility. For the rules that apply to your own situation, check the official Disability Support Pension page linked at the top and bottom of this page.
Related
- Rate table pageEvery variant on its own page
- How much in 2026?The answer and worked examples
- Disability Support Pension vs JobSeeker PaymentSide by side at three incomes
- Disability Support Pension vs Age PensionSide by side at three incomes
- 20 September 2026 indexationEvery payment, old against new
- Payment dates 2026Cycles and public holidays
Disability Support Pension: common questions
- How much is the Disability Support Pension per fortnight?
- For people aged 21 and over, DSP is paid at Age Pension rates. The single rate is shown in the data block at the top of this page, with its effective date, and it includes the Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement. Couples are paid a lower rate each. People under 21 without children get youth rates instead.
- When does DSP go up next?
- Adult DSP is indexed on 20 March and 20 September, the same as the Age Pension. The next increase is on 20 March 2027. This page updates to match.
- Does DSP use both an income and an assets test?
- Yes. DSP for people 21 and over is a pension, so both an income test and an assets test apply, and Services Australia pays the lower of the two results. Financial assets are assessed using deeming. The tables on this page show the free areas and cut-offs.
- Is the Disability Support Pension taxable?
- DSP is generally not taxable if you are under Age Pension age. Once you reach Age Pension age, it becomes taxable. Because this depends on your age and your total income, check the Australian Taxation Office for how it applies to you.
- How is DSP different from JobSeeker?
- DSP is a pension paid at higher rates and indexed by the pension method, while JobSeeker is a working-age allowance at a lower rate. DSP is for people whose permanent condition stops them working, and it has different medical rules. See our JobSeeker versus Disability Support Pension comparison for the detail.
Estimates and general information only — not financial advice. Check Services Australia for your circumstances.
Rates effective 20 September 2026 · next scheduled indexation 20 March 2027. Source: DSS / Services Australia. Last checked 23 September 2026.