How dependent children affect your income support
The rates on this page are effective from 1 January 2026 to 19 March 2026.
This page explains who dependent children are and how they may change your income support benefit.
Back to topWhat is a dependent child?
The meaning of a dependent child for DVA income support purposes is not the same as the meaning for Family Tax Benefit purposes.
For income support purposes, a child is considered to be a dependent child if they meet the following criteria:
Children under 16 years.
A child under 16 years is considered a dependent child if one of the following applies:
- the pensioner has legal responsibility either alone or jointly with another person for the day to day care, welfare and development of the child and the child is in the pensioner's care
- the child is wholly or substantially in the pensioner’s care and is not a dependent child of someone else.
A child under 16 years cannot be considered a dependent child if all of the following applies:
- they are not a full-time student
- their weekly income from any source is more than $267.70.
Children 16 years or older.
A child who has turned 16 years but is under 22 years, can still be a dependent child of the pensioner if all of the following applies:
- they are wholly or substantially dependent on the pensioner
- their income in the financial year will not exceed the personal income limit of $14,672.35 per annum
- they are receiving full time education at a school, college or university.
A child over 16 years cannot be considered a dependent child if one of the following applies:
- they receive a social security payment or benefit such as Youth Allowance
- their personal income is more than $14,672.35 per annum. Income includes earnings from casual, part-time or full-time employment.
Residence requirement
A person is not treated as a dependent child of the pensioner unless the child is an Australian resident and is living with the pensioner. Please refer to Residency rules for more information.
Shared custody
Where both parents share legal responsibility of a child’s care and welfare, and custody is also equally shared, the child is considered a dependent child of the pensioner.
Back to topWhat income support benefits are affected by dependent children?
Dependent children can affect any of the following income support benefits:
- Rent Assistance
- Remote Area Allowance
- Service Pension Partner
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Service Pension, Social Security Age Pension or Income Support Supplement under the transitional rules
- Service pensioners who can get a Veteran Gold Card.
Effect on Rent Assistance
Rent Assistance is a non-taxable allowance to help meet the cost of your rented accommodation. If you pay rent and have any dependent children under the age of 16, your Rent Assistance will be paid by Services Australia as part of your Family Tax Benefit. If you pay rent, no longer receive Family Tax Benefit and only have dependent children over the age of 16 (or you do not have children), your Rent Assistance will be paid by DVA.
Effect on Remote Area Allowance
Remote Area Allowance is a fortnightly, non-taxable payment made to income support recipients to help offset the higher than normal costs, such as transport and communication, incurred when living in remote areas of Australia.
The amount of Remote Area Allowance is increased by $7.30 for every dependent child under the age of 16. The child does not have to live in the remote area, but must normally be in Australia.
Effect on Service Pension Partner
A person under the qualifying age of 60 who has a dependent child at the time of a claim for Service Pension Partner will be exempt from the age requirement. In addition to having a dependent child, the person will need to meet other eligibility criteria and the income and assets test to be granted this payment.
Partners already in receipt of Service Pension Partner because they had a dependent child at the time of the grant will not lose their eligibility for the payment if the child ceases to be dependent - for example, if a dependent child turns 23, or claims a Services Australia payment or benefit after Service Pension Partner has been granted.
Effect on the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
One of the eligibility criteria for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is that you must satisfy the seniors health card income test. The income limit applicable under this test is increased by $639.60 annually for each dependent child you have.
Effect on the Pensioner Concession Card
If you are eligible for a Pensioner Concession Card and have dependent children, their name/s and DVA file numbers will show on your card. If you have more than 6 dependants, you’ll have multiple cards that show up to 6 dependants on each. Your dependent child/ren may be able to get some of the benefits associated with the card however they will not receive their own card.
Effect on the Service Pension, Social Security Age Pension or Income Support Supplement under the transitional rules
If you receive a Service Pension, Social Security Age Pension through DVA or Income Support Supplement under the transitional rules, you will continue to receive an additional income free area for every dependent child you have. This means you can have more income before your payment is reduced. For each dependent child, the income free area is increased by $24.60 per fortnight.
Effect on service pensioners who can get a Veteran Gold Card
One of the eligibility criteria for service pensioners who can get a Veteran Gold Card under the transitional rules is that you must satisfy the income and assets test. The income limit applicable under this test is increased by $24.60 per fortnight for each dependent child you have.
Back to topWhat you need to do
If you are claiming any of the above income support benefits and have a dependent child, you will need to provide their details at the time of the claim. Please refer to the above relevant headings on how to apply for each benefit.
If you are currently in receipt of an income support benefit and you either now have a dependent child or you don’t know if you have previously told us about a dependent child, please contact us.
Back to topObligations
When you are granted income support and periodically after that, you will be notified of your obligations. You will be required to tell us within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive Remote Area Allowance) of changes to your circumstances that might affect the rate of income support you receive or your eligibility to receive that payment. These obligations apply equally to trustees.
In relation to dependent children, the sorts of things you will need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive Remote Area Allowance) are if any of the following occur:
- you no longer have custody or control of your dependent child
- your dependent child travels overseas
- your child ceases full time education
- your dependent child begins to receive payments such as Youth Allowance, Veterans’ Children Education Scheme, the Post Graduate Awards Scheme, or an ABSTUDY scheme
- your dependent child is over 16, and their income increases above $14,672.35 per year.
Social Security age pensioners (paid by DVA) have the same obligations except that if you receive Remote Area Allowance you need to tell us within 14 days not 28 days.
Usually an overpayment will not occur when you have met your obligations. However, sometimes even if you have met your obligations, an overpayment can occur because we have not been able to process the change before the next payday. We do our best to avoid this occurring, but it is not always possible. To provide you with your exact entitlement we are obliged to recover overpayments where they do occur.
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