DVA FACTS
IS22

Rates and Limits

Income Support Supplement Rates

 

Introduction

This fact sheet provides a brief description and the current rates of income support supplement (ISS) and allowances related to ISS.  The rates quoted are fortnightly amounts unless otherwise indicated.

 

This information is current from –

 

 

20 September 2008 to 31 December 2008

 

 

What has changed?

The following rates for this quarter have been changed. -  income support supplement, war widow's/widower's pension, rent assistance rates, rent thresholds and telephone allowance.

 

Income support supplement

ISS is an income and assets tested pension paid to war widows and widowers* (single or couples) and is subject to a ceiling rate.  It is paid fortnightly in addition to the war widow’s or widower’s pension.

 

ISS ceiling rate is adjusted twice yearly, in March and September, in line with movements in the cost of living and/or average wages.

 

Ceiling rate                                                                             $ 167.80

 

Note 1:        The ceiling rate may be higher for war widow’s or widower’s receiving the war widow’s or widower’s pension who also received a social security pension before 1 November 1986.  These ISS recipients will not have their rate indexed until the rate they are on is equal to the indexed ceiling rate of ISS.
Income support supplement, continued

Note 2:        The ceiling rate may be increased by the amount of the compensation reduction of war widow’s or widower’s pension under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) or a pension under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) paid to a wholly dependent partner.  The ceiling rate cannot exceed the maximum rate of service pension for a single person.

 

* War widows and widowers includes wholly dependent partners under the MRCA.

 

Pharmaceutical allowance

All pensioners who are prescribed medicine are required to pay a patient contribution for each prescription item received.  Pharmaceutical allowance is a non-taxable payment in addition to the ISS paid to help with the cost of these patient contributions.

 

War widow’s or widower’s rate                                                   $   5.80

 

Rent assistance

Rent assistance is a non-taxable allowance to help meet the cost of rented private accommodation, subject to minimum rent thresholds.  Rent assistance is paid in addition to the assessed rate of ISS.

 

Note:           For war widows and widowers with dependent children, rent assistance is considered a child-related payment and will be paid as part of the above the minimum family allowance by Centrelink.

 

Maximum amount payable

Singles rate, no children                                                          $ 110.20

Couples rate, no children (combined)                                       $ 103.80

 

Singles rate, with 1 or 2 children                                               $ 129.36

Couples rate, with 1 or 2 children (combined)                            $ 129.36

 

Singles rate, with 3 or more children                                         $ 146.30

Couples rate, with 3 or more children (combined)                      $ 146.30
Rent assistance, continued

Rent thresholds

This is the minimum amount of rent you must pay each fortnight to be eligible for rent assistance.

 

Singles rate, no children                                                           $  98.00

Couples rate, no children (combined)                                       $ 159.60

 

Singles rate, with children                                                        $ 128.94

Couples rate, with children (combined)                                     $ 190.82

 

Remote area allowance

Remote area allowance is a fortnightly, non taxable component of income support supplement to help offset the higher than normal costs, such as transport and communication, incurred whilst living in designated remote areas of Australia.

 

Singles rate                                                                             $  18.20

Couples rate (each)                                                                 $  15.60

Each child                                                                                $   7.30

 

Telephone allowance

Telephone allowance (TA) is paid to telephone subscribers receiving a war widow’s or widower’s pension to help meet the cost of the rental on your telephone service and your home Internet connection charges.  This allowance is paid quarterly in January, March, July and September each year, and is non-taxable.

 

If eligible for TA only

                                                                                           per quarter

War widow’s and widower’s rate                                                $  23.00

 

or

 

If eligible for the increased rate of TA for home Internet

                                                                                           per quarter

War widow’s and widower’s rate                                                $  34.60

 
Above the minimum family allowance

Above the minimum family allowance may be paid to an ISS recipient in respect of dependent children.  This payment is made in addition to the ISS.

 

Each child under 13 years                                                       $ 103.04

Each child 13 to 15 years                                                        $ 148.54

Guardian allowance*                                                                $  49.98

 

Note:           Although eligibility is determined through being in receipt of income support supplement, Centrelink pays the above the minimum family allowance.  Any enquiries about payment should be directed to Centrelink.

 

* Guardian allowance is paid to ISS recipients who have dependent children and who are not a member of a couple, or who are a member of a couple separated due to ill health.  It is paid at the same amount regardless of the number of dependent children.  This payment is made in addition to ISS paid to certain pensioners who were receiving child-related payments on
1 January 1998.

 

War widow’s or widower’s pension

The war widow’s or widower’s pension may be paid to a widow or widower of an eligible veteran.

 

War widow’s/widower’s pension — indexed component*            $ 579.40

War widow’s/widower’s pension — supplement                          $  19.30

Total                                                                                      $ 598.70

 

Note:           For rates of compensation payable to wholly dependent partners refer to Fact Sheet MRC 04: Compensation Payment Rates.

 

* The formerly non-indexed amount is indexed effective 20 March 2008.  It has therefore been amalgamated into the indexed component as of this date.
Other fact sheets

Other fact sheets related to this topic include:

·       Income Support Supplement Limits: IS 24

·       Income Support Supplement Ready Reckoner for Singles: IS 167

·       Income Support Supplement Ready Reckoner for Couples: IS 168

·       Compensation for Dependants – Wholly Dependent Partners of Deceased Members and Former Members: MRC 14

·       Compensation Payment Rates: MRC 04

 

More information

All DVA fact sheets are available on request from any DVA office or on the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au/factsheets/default.htm.

 

If you need more information about this topic, contact your nearest DVA office or visit the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au.

 

You can telephone DVA for the cost of a local call* on:

 

133 254 - general inquiries

1800 555 254 - non-metropolitan callers.

 

Note:       *If you use a mobile phone, calls may be more costly.  You are advised to use a normal phone (a landline phone) when ringing these numbers.