AUSTRALIANS living on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) will receive an extra $36.80 a fortnight from September 20, as cost-of-living pressures continue to bite into household budgets.
People relying on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) are set to receive a modest boost to their fortnightly income.
Services Australia has confirmed rates for the Disability Support Pension, Age Pension and Carer Payment will increase as part of the latest round of social security indexation.
For singles receiving the applicable pension rate, the increase will be $36.80 a fortnight, while the combined increase for couples will be $55.60 a fortnight.
For a single recipient, that equates to an additional $956.80 over a full year, while a couple receiving the combined increase would be about $1445.60 better off annually, assuming the new rates remained unchanged for 12 months.
The increase comes at an important time for people with disability who can face significant everyday expenses including housing, electricity, transport, medication, medical appointments and other disability-related costs.
The maximum pension rate for a single recipient aged 21 or older was $1200.90 a fortnight between March 20 and September 19, while the partnered rate was $905.20 each.
Based on the announced increases, the maximum single rate will therefore rise to $1237.70 a fortnight, while the combined maximum rate for a couple will rise from $1810.40 to $1866 a fortnight, or $933 each.
Actual payments can vary depending on individual circumstances, including income and assets, and different rules apply to some DSP recipients aged under 21.
While an extra $36.80 a fortnight amounts to less than $20 a week for a single pensioner, it provides some additional breathing room for recipients.
The DSP is designed to provide income support to eligible people whose physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment prevents them from working 15 hours or more a week for at least the next two years.
Recipients can also potentially qualify for other assistance including Rent Assistance, the Pensioner Concession Card, Mobility Allowance, Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement, depending on their circumstances.
The September increase is part of Australia’s regular indexation system designed to prevent pensions from losing value as prices and wages change.
